Sons of Antiquity
by grumblebear
Summary: An AU Samurai Troopers fic set in early AD Rome. See preface for full summary. Chapter 6 added. The troupe returns to Rome for their performance, and Touma prepares to face the emperor once again.
1. Preface

**Summary: The year is 37 AD. Touma, the son of a wealthy merchant and product of an extraordinary childhood, enjoys a life of wealth and notoriety as a stage performer in Rome, along with his four best friends. He also shares a close friendship with a popular young noble named Gaius, having caught the sociable eye of the man years before. But as the emperor lies on his deathbed, and Gaius, who is his grandson, is named as his successor, Touma begins to notice subtle changes in his friend's personality. While socializing one night, Touma gives away more than he means to about the person he secretly desires most, and unknowingly stirs a sleeping beast in the process. When Gaius' affections suddenly take a dangerous turn, Touma finds himself in a situation that may be impossible to escape from, and what's worse, the one he loves is drawn in along with him. How does one deny the most powerful man in the world? **

Disclaimer of Ownership: I don't own Samurai Troopers / Ronin Warriors, nor did I create them. All the credit goes to the show's wonderful creators. So don't sue me!

Disclaimer of Acuracy: Im an archaeology student, but im no historian. This story is by no means 100 percent historically or culturally accurate. I did my best to research the time period and recreate as accurate a world as possible, but when lacking historical information or simply information to make the story work, I just made stuff up :P.

Disclaimer of… Decency? Adultness…ness will ensue, as the rating indicates. Respect the rating! Be one with the rating! And yes, this story is mainly Yaoi.

- A quick note on Roman culture and sexuality: There was no real "preference" per say between the sexes with the men of the Roman upper class, with straight homosexuality being almost unheard of. They were free to indulge themselves however they wanted, and the majority enjoyed relations with both men and women.

This story focuses mainly on Touma and Seiji. Depending on length I may add a side story about the others. And since the prologue ended up being a bit… long, I decided to break it up into two parts to make it easier to read.

I also decided to use the original Japanese names, and for reference they are:

Touma – Rowen

Shin – Cye

Seiji – Sage

Shuu – Kento

and Ryo is just Ryo :P

Now that all that is out of the way, go enjoy the story!


	2. Prologue Part 1

Prologue Part 1

Dusk was his favorite time of the day. Perched high above the surrounding houses, he closed his blue eyes and allowed his senses to show him the things hidden from his sight. He could smell meats and breads being prepared for evening meals, along with the rich scent of the woods used in the cooking fires. A hint of incense and spring flowers drifted past his nose and he resisted the urge to sneeze. Somewhere, a baby was crying. The arguments of a group of men, presumably drunk on spirits, drifted up to assault his ears before dying away as they wandered off further into the city. The iron of the railing he leaned against was still warm from the heat of the day's sun, but it was quickly cooling now that the sun was retreating into the western hills, and beyond that, the sea. A gentle breeze lifted up from somewhere to ruffle his short, dusty black, almost bluish colored hair as he opened his eyes again to watch the daylight's retreat.

Every evening he always made certain to be out either lounging in the solarium built on the roof of the atrium of his family's home, or out on the small veranda that had been built for him as an extension of his bedchamber. He preferred the latter if only for the noise reduction, since it was higher. The veranda was built out over the roof of the second story of the house, and was therefore farther from the street, and farther from the din of horses and citizens and carts traveling through the narrow city streets. The entire building was actually three stories tall; rather unusual for private Roman houses, but the home itself was only two stories. It had been built into the gentle slope of a large hill, the first story represented by two large rooms built on the street level, which were used for his father's trade business. A small entrance hallway in between the two rooms lead up to the second story by way of stairs that led into the atrium, the formal hall of the family's house. Beyond that was the courtyard, with living quarters, dinning rooms, a study, and a private bath arranged along its perimeter. More rooms had been built in a second story addition to the courtyard, including his veranda.

Which was where he found himself again this evening. Voices within the house caught his ears, and he leaned out over the railing, thinking somewhere in the back of his mind that it wasn't a terribly intelligent thing to do considering he was already feeling the wine a bit. He arched his neck to look out over the solarium, through the large rectangular opening in the ceiling of the atrium, called the compulvium. It was a standard part of any atrium, meant to let in air and light and allow rainwater to collect in a shallow pool in the middle of the atrium floor, but it also allowed him to sometimes see visitors from his vantage point. He heard the unfamiliar voices drifting up from inside, and wondered who would be calling at this hour.

He sat down on a chaise that served as the only furnishing on his veranda, laid back and stretched lazily, and waited for the stars to begin appearing one by one. Whether it was the wine, or the pleasant weather, his mind began to drift nostalgically back in time as he remembered the histories of his family and the events that had brought him to the world in which he now found himself.

His grandfather, a well-known member of the equestrian upper class in Rome, had been a ruthless and savvy businessman. He was fascinated by the civilizations to the east. No sooner had a new city to the east been conquered, than his grandfather had traveled to it, anxious to see what business opportunities it held. This had the end result that he spent more time out of Rome and away from his family making a name for himself than in his own home city. These ventures made him extremely wealthy and popular with the upper class of Rome, who could afford to buy the exotic products he always returned with.

He was as much an explorer as he was a businessman, and taking long journeys into new, potentially hostile territories didn't dissuade him. On his most ambitious trip, he traveled all the way to China, instantly earning favor with the Chinese emperor who was fascinated with the modern western civilizations, and returned to Rome soon after with a fortune's worth of silk. He gave some as gifts to his own emperor, and the rest he sold for exorbitant amounts of money. More demands from the citizens arrived, who desperately wanted to share in the luxury of this rich, exotic new fabric. While silk was known of but still extremely rare in Rome, there was no steady reliable supply due to the lack of trade routes to the far east.

Demand was so great, that he offered his son and three of his son's most trusted friends (who, although still young, were extremely promising business men as well) to join in his venture to develop a trade route between outlying Chinese cities and Rome. They agreed and, promising to supply silk to the rest of the empire, left their own families behind and ventured out toward this new opportunity. The idea was scoffed at by his grandfather's colleagues, who cautioned him that he would loose every ounce of money he had on this "fool's ambition". It was true, it would have been an almost impossible feat at the time if it wasn't for his grandfather's good relations with the Chinese emperor, who had agreed during their first meeting to do everything he could to aid in the export of silk from his country if it meant that a trade route might open between his country and the foreigner's.

It was easier said than done though. Getting there was a one-year journey across both land and sea. They faced the hardships of primitive travel, language barriers when they arrived in China, as well as finding the labor to run the caravans and employing ships when they arrived at ports. It took a total of six years for the caravans to be able to reliably ship cargo back and forth from China to Rome, and his grandfather lost almost all of his fortune in the process, risking not only his family's wealth and reputation, but also the reputation of the three other young men who accompanied them. But once the silk actually began arriving in Rome, he began to turn profit so quickly that it astonished the heads of business in the counting houses of Rome, who quickly offered to help finance his efforts now that it had been proven possible. His grandfather wisely refused them however, and maintained a strict hold on the importation of silk to Rome.

The fabric was so highly sought after that people were willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money to make entire wardrobes for themselves. Every shipment that arrived in Rome sold almost immediately. His grandfather quickly earned back all the money he had lost and then continued on to profit three times as much as he had when he'd first started out with his already large fortune. He split the profit five ways between himself, his son and the three other men. Now that they had set up a reliable trade route and made the money they had wanted and more, they were able to hire employees to do most of the traveling and supervising of the caravans that they had done themselves over the past few years. After eight years, they finally returned to Rome as a group. His grandfather made the decision at that time to retire to his country villa far to the south of the city and enjoy his wealth until he reached the end of his life.

His son and his three friends had other plans however. They still had control of the silk importing business, and had no plans to leave it behind. They all married adventurous and feisty young wives and enjoyed the fame that their wealth and success had brought them, but during their stay in Rome they realized just how much they missed the land they had lived in over the past few years. China was breathtakingly beautiful, the culture rich and flourishing, and they enjoyed just as my celebrity there as they did in Rome, since the business had helped to put quite a bit of money into the people's pockets. The Chinese were fascinated by the men's speech, their clothing and their customs. They had been treated as if they were emissaries from their country, and enjoyed the privileges that came with that status. They soon came to an agreement to return to China to live there for a while. They packed up their wives, household staff and slaves, and began the long journey back.

The men settled back into their old lives easily, living in houses and eating meals better than even what they had in Rome as part of the upper class. They supervised their business through trusted employees, happy to be away for once from the politics and competition for business they faced back In Rome, able to let others do their work for a while while they enjoyed the profits. Their wives, while at first open to but weary of the idea of leaving everything they knew to travel to some far off land they had barely heard of, finally accepted the fact that they were far from home and would not be returning anytime soon. They soon grew accustomed to their new lives and, shortly after settling in, they were all four expectant with child.

Throughout that year and into the beginning of the next, one healthy baby boy was born to each of the men. Not only was this a joyous thing for all four families, this was seen as such a tremendously auspicious thing in the eyes of the locals (male children were highly prized in their culture), that they revered all four of the babies as if they were members of the emperor's own family. They were raised with the local customs, taught to speak the language expertly as they grew, and once they started walking, the emperor's own court troupe began teaching them the art of acrobatics.

Around this time one of the wife's Chinese attendants became gravely ill. Her husband had been killed a few years earlier in an accident and once she died it would leave her son, who was the same age as the other boys, an orphan. The wife, upon hearing this, asked her husband to let them adopt the child. He was already a playmate to the four other boys and was by this time seen as part of the family. Her husband readily agreed and adopted the boy once his mother had passed.

While each boy had been given a Roman name at birth, they were so often referred to by playful and endearing names from the locals that eventually their roman names were never used. Instead, their parents used a blending of their given names with the local language. The boy whose grandfather had begun the importing business was called Touma. The boy whose father had adopted the attendant's son was called Ryo, and his brother kept his given name of Shuu. The two others received the names Seiji and Shin.

The bond these boys shared amazed their parents. While they did fight like little boys do, they never acted viciously or hatefully towards each other. They shared their possessions with each other, helped one another, and encouraged each other, especially in their studies. They were exceptionally good at the acrobatics they were taught, and soon the emperor had to find new performers to teach the boys new tricks, since they so quickly mastered the skills of his court's troupe. The court's musicians also taught them to play various instruments to accompany each other as they performed.

Once the boys reached age seven, the men insisted their sons be taught how to fight and defend themselves in the styles of not only the roman culture, but that of the Chinese as well. They learned how to fight with their hands as well as with weapons, Ryo being taught in two-handed swords, Shin in pole arms, Touma in the bow and arrows, Seiji in one-handed swords, and Shuu in staves. With these new skills the boys began to blend together their skills in acrobatics as well as their weapons training. They would choreograph exciting displays and acts utilizing all of their skills, which they would then perform for their parents, towns people, and eventually the emperor and his dignitaries. The emperor was delighted that these boys whose bloodlines started in such a far off place took so easily and eagerly to the customs and pageantry of his own country.

Continued in Prologue Part 2


	3. Prologue Part 2

Prologue Part 2

By the ages of ten, important men and women from all over the eastern part of Asia were coming to see the performances of these little foreign boys. Surprisingly, the fame and attention of all these important people never once went to the children's heads. They remained sound and loyal, both to each other, their families, and to the Chinese people who had embraced them. They always did their best to make their fathers proud, and were extremely well disciplined, even into their years of early adulthood. Eventually they began to enquire about their parent's native country, their curiosity having been piqued by the stories of the roman house servants and slaves telling of the vast and wondrous cities and temples and arenas of the Roman Empire. And while the boys were just as eager to learn everything they could about the place they called home, they also wanted to see the place of their parent's birth as well.

Ultimately, the decision to return to Rome was made when the boys reached the ages of fifteen. There was some political turbulence growing in China, and the emperor, while concerned for his own safety, was also concerned with the safety of the foreigners whom he now counted as his friends and the boys who were like sons to him. With a heavy heart he saw them off on their return journey. Later that year the troubles in his country calmed, and he would often wander the compound that he had provided the family, now empty, and force his poor attendants to listen to him recant repeatedly the stories of his "favorite little wide eyed Chinese men".

The return trip took just over one year and, since they were no longer as young as they had been on the previous trip, it was much harder on the boy's parents than it was on the boys themselves. But they were encouraged by their son's enthusiasm to be heading to this "new" land. They're arrival went largely unnoticed with the exception of the large wagon loads of servants, furniture and other goods they had returned with. The demand for silk had decreased in recent years, even though it continued to be popular with the wealthy. As the demand decreased, so did the families popularity, even though they were still exceptionally well known thought the city. Three of the men purchased new homes for their families in the hills surrounding Rome, while the other settled into a home along the Tiber River. The boys, not used to living so far apart, would spend every waking hour together, exploring this massive new city. They were awed by the sheer size of the buildings, the paved roads, the splendor of the homes and clothing of the upper class, the chariots and the armored guards, the smells and tastes of strange new foods. But they missed their celebrity. They often complained to their parents that no one ever recognized them or asked them to perform, to which their parents reminded them that few in Rome knew of their abilities.

Sixteen now and strong willed, they decided that they would perform for the people of this new city just as they had in China. They began asking the operators of several of the theaters in Rome to use their facilities and were turned away each time. When they told the operators what it was they did, they were always told the same thing, "No one will be interested that. Pantomime is what the people want to see. Learn that and come back then". Finally, the owner of a small theater situated on the outskirts of the city grudgingly agreed to let them perform for three evenings, provided that any and all profits from the performances went directly to him. Since he was having trouble finding groups to perform in his theater, he wouldn't be loosing any money if someone used the place for free. The boys agreed and quickly began telling everyone they could about their performance, as well as asking their parents to ask their patrons who visited daily if they would attend.

The first evening arrived, and the theater remained mostly empty. The boy's families were there, as well as several of the family's patrons who were either coaxed by obligation into coming, or had nothing better to do that evening. With the exception of the boy's parents, most of the audience looked lethargic at best. When the theater owner saw the boys in their brightly colored silks that they used for performing, and heard them tuning the strange and foreign instruments they were to accompany each other with, he rung his hands, fretting aloud that this would be the end to his reputation and his theater house. The boys ignored him and carried on their preparations with confidence.

From the first crash of the drums that startled the audience to attention, to the sparks that flew from the boy's swords as they blended their acrobatics and sword play expertly, the crowd sat transfixed. As the instruments filled their ears with exotically strange and harsh sounding but enchanting melodies, they did not speak to interrupt it. Blurs of all different colors of silk filled their eyes as the boys leapt, dove, and vaulted through the air, using each other's body to launch themselves, twist gracefully, then land as surefooted as cats. When they twisted their bodies into unnatural and almost impossible positions while balancing upon each other, the people's mouths fell open, a few audibly gasping at the sight. The crowd did not once look away.

All the way to the last note of music that was played and the silence that followed signaling the performance was over, the crowd barely moved. Only when the boys moved to thank the crowd was the first sound uttered. What was once a small, quietly transfixed audience suddenly erupted into a mass of cheers and applause loud enough to make it sound as if the theater was full to its maximum capacity. Several passersby outside stopped to look inside to see what all the noise was about. The boys stood grinning brilliantly as the small audience continued to cheer them. They cast glances at the theater owner who stood off to the side, staring dumbly at them, still in shock from the performance.

The next evening's crowd was twice as big, and the third's saw the theater filled to capacity, with people left outside because there was no more room. The owner decided to then extend the performance to the rest of the week, and after that week sold out, to the next week as well. Rome had never seen any kind of act that compared to this, and as word spread, more and more people demanded to see the exotic new show. It was so popular that eventually requests to appear began arriving from other theaters, ones who had previously turned them down. The boys declined long enough for the owner of their current theater to make a healthy profit, then moved the show to the largest theater in Rome, the same theater in which actors performed for the emperor. They were instant celebrities, selling out night after night, no longer working for free, but now sharing in the profits of the theater.

Soon however, the constant attention began to wear on them. Where as they had been cherished but respected by the Chinese people, the roman fans seemed almost ravenous, demanding the boy's every waking minute either at parties, or house calls, or just walking down the street. Troubled by the constant attention, they retreated to Seiji's family's vineyard in the roman countryside for a few months. They were concerned not only with the people's obsessive attention, but they worried that the people would eventually tire of them if they performed too often. The Romans loved their entertainers dearly, but they became distracted and bored easily. It was decided that they would continue to perform, but on an occasional basis, therefore ensuring that they would be able to keep their performances new and exciting in the minds of the Romans. They hoped it would be able to alleviate the constant demand for their time as well.

It took some time, but eventually the public demand for the boys lessened to a tolerable level. They still continued to perform every few months, making sure to constantly add new acts and improve upon the ones they already had. They soon even found a fan in the emperor Tiberius, who after having a private performance for only himself and his family became a regular patron. They entertained members of the senate, as well as dignitaries from the far corners of the Roman Empire who came to the capitol both on business and for leisure. And each one asked the boys that if they ever decided to tour the empire, to make sure to count their own cities as one to stop in, for they were all sure that their own citizens would be thrilled by the performance. The boys always graciously agreed, thus securing patrons in several large cities around the empire as well.

Word of them had spread quickly to other regions, and they had already discussed a tour, but there was simply no time at the moment to entertain the thought for too long. Over the next few years, they found themselves with less time to spend together. There was family and friends in other cities to visit, and that kept each of them away from Rome for months at a time. The traveling itself took up a good majority of the time away, and while they were in the hosting city, they would have to deal with the local officials who always wanted to meet one of the boys who had so impressed the emperor. More often than not they would be talked into short solo performances, if the person making the request was too important to turn down.

Somewhere, a pot broke, the sound rousing him from his thoughts.

He yawned sleepily and blinked up at the first few stars just now beginning to appear. He reached down for the bronze wine cup he had been drinking from and scooped it up. _Which brings us to where we are now, scattered to the stars, _he thought. He somberly raised the cup to the gently blinking stars and then swallowed the last bit of wine. He stood, smoothed his tunic and leaned against the railing again, letting his eyes wander down the hillside to the lights of the large upper class homes that lined the Tiber. He knew from countless nights of standing in that same spot, looking for the same house, where to find what his eyes were searching for. He was heralded as having the best sight among his five friends, and could see things clearly even from great distances. Tonight however, his eyes didn't see what he wanted them to. The upper windows of the house were dark. There was no one home other than servants.

He sighed heavily just as the whisper of a hem dragging along the floor behind him caught his ear. He turned his head slightly to find his father standing in the doorway behind him.

"Don't sigh so heavily Touma. The gods will think you don't care for the life that's been given to you," his father said with a smile.

Touma returned his fathers smile. "The gods will know my heart well enough to know that isn't what troubles me."

"Very true." His father replied with a nod, stepping forward. He extended a small rolled letter with a bright red seal still intact on the side, guarding the letter's contents. "Gaius Caesar sends for you again. His messenger was here a short time ago." Touma took the letter from his father and broke the seal. Even though the letter belonged to his son, his father didn't move until after Touma had finished reading. "Anything I should be concerned about?" he inquired.

Touma looked up at his father and shook his head. "No, he just wants to see me and catch up. He's been so busy lately there hasn't been any time."

"When?"

"Tomorrow. Why?"

His father's normally relaxed countenance clouded briefly. "Just… be careful son. I know you've heard the stories."

Touma smiled gently. "Thank you father. I assure you I'll be fine. He's never wronged me, and I've never given him an excuse to. Besides, it helps to have friends in high places right?" He flashed a confident smile, but his father didn't look any less concerned.

The older man gazed off at the lights of the city before saying quietly "Even Tiberius says that he is raising a viper for the Roman people…" His voice trailed off.

"The emperor said that?" Touma asked in surprise.

His father's eyes shifted back to his son again, perhaps thinking better about what he had just said. Waving it off he said "Its hearsay, nothing more." He turned to leave. "Enjoy your time with Caligula tomorrow."

Touma hissed through his teeth. "Father don't make a habit of addressing him that way. He hates it."

His father, now a dark retreating form in his room, simply nodded and raised his hand in acknowledgement. "Well be eating shortly." Then he disappeared into the house.

Touma sighed again. He cast one last wishful glance at the house on the river. The lights were still dark. He pulled his eyes away and retreated into his room. He could check again after dinner.

Continued in chapter 1

_Oh my lord, that was hard to write o.O Its so much harder to follow history than it is to just make it up! And the flashback is soooo long! I didn't mean for it to be that long I swear! Thankfully the rest wont be so "history-lessonish". But I had to make a good backbone for the story! _

_I really should get to class now…_


	4. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

The house along the Tiber remained dark the entire night. That Touma knew for a fact. He hadn't been able to sleep, so he had spent the entire night out on the veranda watching stars, wrapped in warm blankets to fend off the chill of early March. He had finally felt the pull of sleep shortly before the sun began to rise and shuffled sleepily back into his bedchamber. He closed the shutter doors leading to the veranda and threw himself unceremoniously into his bed. He was asleep almost immediately. And while he often had problems getting to sleep, he never had problems staying asleep. He didn't rise from his slumber until mid afternoon, when a servant came in to remind him of his visit with his friend.

He got up grudgingly, his hair a mess and his eyes blurry. A short time later, once he had washed and dressed, he was back to his normal self, although still a bit groggy. His horse was being prepared out on the street and he was pulling on his boots near the entryway to the atrium when he remembered something. He called out for their head servant.

"Yes young master?" the wrinkled old man inquired as he emerged from the kitchen off to one corner of the atrium.

Touma fought to tighten his new boots. New boots meant stiff laces, and stiff laces were impossible to tighten. "Did any messages come for me today?"

The old man shook his head. "No sir. All the messages and letters we have received today have been for your father."

Disappointed, Touma stared down at his boots.

"I am sorry sir."

He smiled up at the old man. "Its alright Tullius. I knew better than to ask. You would have told me the moment something arrived for me." He stood and stretched. "Especially if it meant waking me up." He playfully made a sour face at the old man, who often feigned ignorance of his young master's sleeping habits.

The old man puffed his chest in mock bravado. "Someone has to have the guts to face the sleeping beast in his lair."

Touma chuckled as he began to descend the stairs to the street below. "I'm not that bad!"

"The young master once threw a pitcher of wine at me!" the old man wailed to no one in particular.

Touma laughed aloud. That was joke of theirs dating back to an incident where the old man had accidentally broken a large expensive pitcher of wine. As a joke and as a way to avoid having the man punished, they howled back and forth for days that Touma had thrown it at him in a fit of rage after the old man had roused him in the middle of a particularly "pleasant" dream. The farce lasted a week before they finally admitted what happened, more to save Touma's reputation in his own house than anything else. In the end, the amusement that had resulted was compensation enough for his father. It was still a favorite joke of the household servants who, for the most part, had known the truth the entire time.

The servant holding Touma's horse for him helped him mount, even though he didn't really need any assistance. He could vault himself onto a horse as easily and softly as a cat jumping onto a high ledge. He thanked the man and then started off, winding his way through several side streets before emerging out onto a large avenue. He was greeted every few yards by friends of the family or by those who recognized him from the performances. The boys were still mild celebrities in the city, so going anywhere meant they had to fulfill their social obligations to their patrons and at the very least return their greetings. It made traveling even small distances difficult and tedious at times.

Luckily for Touma, today was one of the better days. He moved quickly down the avenue towards the crossroads that lead up into Palatine Hill, where Rome's most wealthy and powerful people lived, including the emperor himself. Soon the roads opened out wider and the paving stones became more even. The homes lining the roads grew larger and more extravagant with each passing block. The sounds of music and perfumes and rich foods wafted out onto the street, enticing him as he passed. The road soon began sloping upwards, towards the estates and palaces that graced the highest points on the large hill.

As he rode, he remembered the first time he had met his friend Gaius. It had been while he and his friends were still performing regularly in the theater. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the famous grandson of the emperor, had attended a show one evening, and insisted on meeting with the boys afterward. He had immediately taken a special liking to Touma, and requested that he come visit him at his grandfather's estate for an afternoon. Touma had agreed warily. Gaius was only a few years older than himself, but one could never be too careful when dealing with royal and political family members, regardless of age. Power at any price seemed to drive most of them, and too often their friends and family were caught up in the turmoil they were constantly surrounded by. At first Touma had felt a bit bullied into the association, but his worries were soon calmed by Gaius' open and carefree nature. They were both pranksters at heart, and both highly accomplished with a bow, although Gaius was never able to beat Touma in a match. Over time, the boys developed a strong friendship, which had survived only a few rough times. Touma had eventually learned to accept his friends many vices, though the man's fascination with watching tortures and executions and vicious gladiatorial fights still concerned him quite a bit.

He stopped and dismounted before an imposing gate, announcing himself and removing a pair of sandals from where he had draped them over his horse's neck. Almost immediately the gate opened and a young slave boy appeared. Touma handed his reins to the boy and then proceeded down a short, lushly decorated stone path and into a large courtyard. He was greeted by another attendant at the top of a short flight of stairs that lead up into a portico. Seeing that the visitor had brought no slave with him to help him with his boots, the attendant asked him to wait while he fetched one. Touma detested bringing slaves along on house calls to do simple things that he was perfectly able to do on his own. To the upper class, bringing slaves with them everywhere they went was more of a status symbol than a necessity. The attendant returned quickly, flanked by a young slave boy carrying a small stool. The boy kept his eyes to the ground as he placed the stool next to Touma and waited for him to sit. Touma sat awkwardly and waited while the boy removed his first boot and replaced it with one of his sandals.

The boy was about to start on the second one when a loud piercing noise broke through the silence, causing both of them to jump slightly. The attendant simply rolled his eyes towards the hallway leading into the main hall of the house. Touma followed his gaze as a man in a luxurious toga emerged from the hall. He was about a foot taller than Touma, with golden brown hair that naturally twisted itself into neat curls, handsomely chiseled features, and sharp brown eyes that shone with an aggressive kind of mirth. In his right hand was a large, magnificent bullhorn, accented with gold and jewels and almost the length of the man's arm. Touma mused that the beast that had originally worn the horn atop its head must have been massive. As the man approached them he grinned carelessly, placed the small end of the horn to his lips and blew into it with much more effort than he needed to, with the result that the sound erupting from the horn reverberated off the ceiling and floors, violently assaulting their ears. The attendant looked thoroughly annoyed while the boy looked almost terrified. The man quickly closed the remaining gap between them and opened his arms wide. Touma quickly stood, still in one boot and one sandal.

"Touma!" the man exclaimed as they embraced. "I've missed you my friend."

Touma chuckled. "I've missed you as well Gaius. It's been awhile. At this rate I'm not sure if I want you to be considered for emperor. Then I really never would see you anymore!"

"Considered?" the man scoffed. "You would be beside yourself without me around, I know," Gaius grinned at him. " Oh, look at what arrived for me a short while ago," He extended the horn so that Touma could get a better look. "Isn't it magnificent? The magistrate from… oh, I forget where, sent it to me. Whoever he is, he's won my favor. I've been scaring the household with it all day." He laughed mischievously.

Touma smiled. One look at the attendant's face could have told him that. His friend was as spirited as ever.

Gaius looked down at the boy waiting patiently to remove his friend's other boot. "Honestly Touma! What's wrong with your own slaves that you must insist on using mine every time you come to visit?" Without waiting for an answer, he motioned for Touma to sit again. "Hurry, hurry. We've much to discuss while the evening is still young."

Touma did as he was asked and the boy quickly replaced his remaining boot with his other sandal. As soon as both sandals were fastened to his feet Gaius took him by the arm and lead him off quickly into the main house, leaving behind the pair of relieved attendants.

"So much to discuss! I've been away from Rome far too long. Oh, I wish you could have been with me to see and hear all the things I've been privileged to. I know you don't like gossip Touma, but the more one knows about his peers, the more power he holds over them. And since I'm due to succeed my grandfather, all the senators and magistrates I've met the past few months have been so eager for my favor that they've been willing to tell me anything I want to know about anyone! There is hardly a man in all of Rome I don't hold a secret about now," Gaius continued to gush as they wound their way through the main house towards the back of the estate. "I'm probably more powerful now with all of my knowledge than the emperor himself!"

Touma cringed inwardly. One thing about Gaius he didn't like was the man's ruthlessness. He had a knack for ferreting out the secrets of men and then using those secrets for his own gain. Why more people hadn't caught on to his tricks Touma would never know. Then again, perhaps they already knew and were simply so charmed by the young man's energy that they thought him harmless. And Gaius was anything but harmless. He had a vicious sense of humor and a vengeful spirit. Once you got on his bad side, it was best to avoid him altogether.

He led Touma out onto a large open terrace over looking the rest of the houses on the hill below them, and beyond that, the Circus Maximus. It was a breathtaking view, especially in the light of the late day. "I never get tired of this view," Touma said with a smile.

"Which is why I always bring you here," Gaius said gazing out over the city. He admired the view for a moment, then just as quickly snapped back to attention. "Come! Lets sit. We have not talked in ages and I want to know what has been occupying your days."

They wandered over to a pair of luxurious couches that sat close enough to the edge to where they could still enjoy the view. In between them were placed trays of wine and fruit, and they spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around and talking. The majority of the conversation focused on Gaius' travels over the past few months, and for that Touma was grateful. The last thing he needed was his friend scolding him about his boring life. _We cant all be the next emperor of Rome,_ he thought.

He was told of the hundreds of African slaves Gaius had seen while in Carthage, as well as elephants and a magnificent caged tiger from India. While speaking of the tiger, Gaius said, "It was one of the most thrilling things I have ever seen. To see such a huge beast with that much beauty, that much power, at the mercy of a single man who held the key to his cage…" Gaius shook his head. "It was amazing." Touma didn't really understand his friend's fascination at this particular incident, but there was something about the way the man's eyes shone cruelly as he told the story that suggested to Touma that perhaps he was better off not understanding after all. The conversation eventually shifted to Gaius' beloved city of Antium, then Greece.

Finally his friend appeared to become winded and slowed his conversation. "Now lets hear about you. How have you been keeping yourself busy these past few months?"

Touma smiled knowingly. There was no getting out of it now. "My friends have all been away on trips. I hate to admit it but I've spent most of my time here in the city at my family's house."

"Parties?" Gaius suggested.

Touma shook his head.

"Trips to the countryside?"

"Yes, once."

"What about the gladiator fights? There have been plenty of those lately. Lots of men to throw to the beasts and to each other." Gaius sipped his wine.

"You know I don't enjoy those."

Gaius snorted. "All men enjoy watching other men being torn to pieces my friend. You can't deny that."

Instead of argue with him, Touma tried to change the topic. "I have gone to several games at the Circus. Those are a bit more to my liking."

Gaius smiled over his wine glass. "Better to be torn apart by the hooves of horses in the races than by the swords of men in the ring, eh?" Touma gave him a sour look. He chuckled. "I apologize my weak stomached friend. What about archery tournaments? Surely there have been plenty of those around lately."

"They wont let me enter," Touma replied.

"What? Why not?" Gaius asked loudly. He was beginning to feel his wine.

"Evidentially I'm too good" Touma said, popping a piece of fruit into his mouth. "If I show up, no one else will enter. They don't want to waste their entry fee if there's no chance they'll win."

Gaius laughed. "That's amazing! I mean, its unfortunate for you socially. But isn't that a fantastic thing to be able to say about one's self? That you are _so_ good that the rest of the empire is afraid to even lift an arrow to the string against you?"

Touma sipped his wine. "Id much rather be able to just socialize normally for once."

Gaius considered him thoughtfully for a moment. "You, my friend, are far too modest to belong to the class you belong to and for the wealth you have access to. You should be enjoying everything you have to it's absolute fullest! Where are all your lovers? A man your age with your looks should be up to his horse's neck in admirers. You've hinted to me in the past that you have an eye for someone, has anything come of that?"

Touma stiffened. He swallowed a mouthful of fruit and shook his head.

"Does this person even know of your feelings?" Gaius continued.

"Why the sudden interest in my love life?"

Gaius straightened his posture awkwardly. "I just want to see you happy with your life, Touma. That's all," he said a bit defensively.

Touma was caught off guard by his friend's reply, but he just smiled gently. "I appreciate your concern Gaius. I would like nothing more that to be happy as well. But…" he swallowed the last of the wine in his glass, "we shall have to wait and see what happens, I guess. Nothing can be done about it now."

Gaius raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Touma bit his tongue and cursed himself. _Don't you dare give too much away Touma,_ he scolded in his mind. It was amazing what Gaius could figure out on his own when given only a small amount of information. He thought quickly. "Because I'm here with you right now aren't I?" He offered what he hoped would be a nonchalant grin.

Gaius regarded him calmly for a moment, which Touma noticed he had done a lot during this visit. Was it some new trick he had picked up, or was he just letting his cunning show? Then his friend shrugged. "Of course. Just don't waste all of your time pining over someone who doesn't know your true feelings. If your going to do that, at least keep a few lovers on the side to keep you busy while you wait." He threw back the last of his wine and set the glass down noisily. To Touma, he seemed a bit agitated. "The sun has almost set my friend," he said, looking out over the darkening city. "I don't suppose you would want to accompany me to a banquet I'm attending tonight."

Touma smiled and shook his head. "Thank you, but no. I…"

Gaius cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I know, I know. Too flashy, too loud, not your thing…" He made a face. "It's a good thing you're not a woman. No man would ever want to marry you save for your physical assets."

Touma didn't really know how to take that, so he simply laughed and stood. Gaius sighed heavily and hoisted himself out of his seat as well. "Come. Ill walk you out."

As they wandered their way back through the massive house, Gaius said, "By the way, I forgot to ask you. How are the others?"

"The others?"

Gaius rolled his eyes a bit. "Your troupe mates. The only other good friends you have besides myself."

Touma chuckled. "They're fine. Ryo and Shuu are visiting cousins in Valencia. Shuu is evidentially very popular there, being from the east and all. And Shin just arrived back in town last week from a trip to Sicilia."

"And Seiji?"

Touma noticed out of the corner of his eye that Gaius was watching him as they walked. He glanced over at him briefly before replying "Away as well."

"Mmmmm" Gaius mused. "He's been gone for awhile now hasn't he? To Judea wasn't it? I believe he's a favorite of one of Herod's daughters…"

"You seem to know a lot about it," Touma said flatly.

Gaius grinned. "I have my sources. Tell me. Is he spoken for?"

Touma glanced at him again, his mind suddenly racing. _Oh no you don't, _he thought._ You're not making play things out of any of my friends, and certainly not Seiji._

"You know me Touma. I have an eye for pretty things," Gaius had leaned in closer as they walked and was now right next to his friend's ear. "And since your hearts already been stolen…"

The worry in Touma's mind momentarily dissipated. And his demeanor dropped flat. He knew what was coming next.

In his best lusty voice Gaius continued, "…I can't give you my virginit..."

Before his friend could continue any further, Touma grabbed Gaius's face in his hands and ran his tongue up the entire length of the man's nose. He quickly leapt out of arms reach of his friend, who simply stood there for a moment, managing to looking stunned, confused and extremely amused all at the same time.

Gaius reached up to wipe the bridge of his nose. "I've tried that trick on you before haven't I?"

Touma was laughing uncontrollably. "Yes, and I wasn't about to let you stick your tongue in my ear again."

His friend swore and laughed. "I don't remember ever doing that one to you. Was I drunk?"

"Of course." They continued on towards the front of the house.

"I really am a virgin though."

"Your no more a virgin that I am king of the Britons."

"Spies in our midst! This is war!"

Touma chuckled. "So long as it's not a war of ranged fights you'll be fine."

Gaius looked thoughtful again. "We shall see. I'm heading out to the country estate day after tomorrow for a week. Come with me. There's a fantastic range there. You'll love it. We can see if you are still good enough to beat an emperor."

Touma looked at him. "You not emperor yet Gaius."

"Its all a matter of time my friend" Gaius said softly, loud enough for only the two of them to hear. "You know how sick Tiberius is right now."

"Then isn't this a bad time to be leaving the city?"

"It's only a full day's ride from here. If anything happens I can return quickly."

Touma looked at Gaius, a hint of true unease finally rising to the surface of his mind now that his friend was showing such little concern for his own grandfather's failing health.

"So you'll come right?"

He hesitated for just a moment, and then nodded. "Of course."

"Excellent!" His friend exclaimed. "You can even borrow some of my slaves since I know you won't bring your own," he added teasingly. He called for Touma's boots and horse and this time Touma insisted on lacing the boots on his own.

"Honestly Touma. Its not a question of whether we have to tie our own boots, it a matter of whether or not we choose to. Those of us who can afford it can choose not to."

Touma finished the last boot and stood. "Just as we can also choose to tie them ourselves. Slaves don't have that choice. I do. And I honor the privilege to make that choice everyday by putting on my own shoes."

A strange look passed over Gaius' face when Touma said that. But Touma pretended not to notice. Truthfully, the look spooked him a little. It wasn't a look of anger or frustration as he might have expected. It was a look of admiration, which coming from Gaius was an extremely unnerving thing. He only received that look. He certainly never gave it. "I shall see you day after tomorrow then." Touma said, beginning down the steps.

"Touma…" his friend's singsong voice called after him.

He stopped and turned. "Yes?"

"You never answered my question. Is he taken?"

Touma felt his heart jump. He only needed a moment to decide what he was going to say. "Yes Gaius. He is."

Gaius paused a moment, staring down at him through narrowed eyes.

_He knows_, thought Touma. _He knows exactly why I said that._

Then his friend nodded. "Alright. Day after tomorrow then," and with a wave and a smile he headed back into the house.

Touma quickly gathered his horse, mounted and began to make his way home. His mind raced as he rode through the streets. He had lied to a good friend. But he had only done so in order to save another good friend from the suffering that came with being on the receiving end of Gaius' attentions. He had seen the man use up and cast out countless lovers both male and female, without any remorse or second thought. He wasn't about to let any of his friends suffer the same fate. "Certainly not Seiji," he muttered quietly.

His parents had already left for the evening by the time he arrived home. He removed his boots, found a piece of bread that had been left over from supper, and then retreated to his room. He splashed his face with water from a bowl on the table next to his bed and then picked up a small towel. Stepping out on the veranda, he began to dry his face, enjoying the night air from high above the city. Once again his eyes wandered down to the house along the river.

"Young master!" he heard Tullius call out to him from his bedchamber door. "I have a message for you. It came while you were gone. Master Seiji has returned from Judea."

Tonight, the house along the river had a light in every window.

Continued in chapter 2


	5. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Seiji was agitated. After sending his messenger to Touma the night before, he had stayed up for hours waiting for his friend to come welcome him home. He knew Touma would. He always did as soon as Seiji returned from a trip. The messenger had returned saying that Touma was out when he delivered the message, but that the head servant of the house had promised to give the message to him as soon as he returned. Seiji knew Tullius would do as he said.

So why had Touma never come by?

He stood on the large balcony that extended from the back of his family's home to the river's edge, leaning on the railing and staring blankly at the fish swimming in the water below. He began to idly pick crumbs off a piece of flatbread in his hands and throw them to the fish. A servant passing by admonished him for wasting food, but Seiji was so thoroughly lost in his thoughts he barely heard him. He and Touma had always been close, even as small children. That closeness had followed them into their adult years, and they were constant companions while in the same city. The other three often teased them about it, saying that they ought to just get married and be done with it. Seiji and Touma always took the teasing in stride though. Their friends never meant any harm, and they were comfortable enough with each other to not take the joking seriously. Sometimes the two of them would even play along, but that was mostly only when they had enjoyed too much to drink.

Eventually the sun grew hot on his neck and arms, and he glanced up at the sky. The sun was just past its highest point. "Is it that late in the day already?" he wondered aloud. He tossed what was left of the bread out into the river and turned to head inside, leaving the sound of frantic splashing behind as the fish fought over the last of the free meal. He briefly considered going to Touma's home himself, but then thought better of it. "He wouldn't be awake yet this time of day anyways," he muttered, passing into the cool shadow of the house. He stared unseeing at the ground as he walked through the tree-shaded courtyard and towards the front of the house. He needed some water.

"Oh, Master Seiji. I was about to come get you," he heard their head servant say as he entered the atrium. He looked up at the man. There, standing next to him was Touma. "Master Touma just arrived for you," he said.

Surprised by this unexpected visit, Seiji briefly forgot his earlier annoyance, and his face lit up as he walked toward them. Touma returned the smile as they greeted each other with a warm embrace.

"Welcome home Seiji," his friend said as they pulled away from each other. "How was your trip?"

"Too long. I'm glad to be back." Seiji replied with a contented sigh. "Judea is too hot. Not enough trees and too much sand."

"And your parents?"

"Still resting from the return trip, but glad to be back as well."

Touma nodded and smiled, shifting his gaze down to the pool of water in the middle of the atrium. "You'll have to tell me all about it."

Seiji turned to the servant. "Would you make sure lunch is being prepared?" The servant nodded and headed off into another room. He turned back to Touma.

"You had planned to stay for awhile right?"

"Only if you didn't already have plans for today." Touma continued to stare at the pool.

Seiji's brow furrowed slightly. He realized that Touma wasn't looking him in the eye. In fact, it was as if he was making a great effort to make sure they're eyes didn't meet at all. Touma only did that when something was really bothering him. Had something happened while he was gone? He frowned and ducked down quickly into Touma's line of vision, meeting him eye to eye.

Touma blinked at him, startled for a moment. "What?"

Seiji narrowed his eyes at him but said nothing, and headed back towards the other end of the house. "We always spend time together after we return from a trip. It's nothing new," he said, looking at his friend who walked beside him.

"I know," Touma said with a sheepish grin. He scratched his head, which was a nervous habit of his. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come last night. I heard your messenger stopped by shortly after I left. I didn't arrive home until long after dark. By that time it was too late to come calling."

"It never stopped you before," Seiji said as they passed under the shade of the courtyard trees.

Touma looked at him. "I'm sorry. I figured I would give you some time to settle back in."

The sun was too hot for them to sit out on the balcony, so they sat on a pair of couches just inside the alcove leading from the courtyard to the balcony.

"You're worrying me, Touma." Seiji smiled teasingly at him. "Normally you can't wait to come find me the moment I get back from somewhere."

Touma wrinkled his nose. "Don't make me sound like your puppy. I can't wait a few hours to come see my best friend when he returns home? And you're just as bad when I'm the one returning from somewhere," he scoffed.

"Am I?" Seiji raised his eyebrows in mock disbelief.

"I can go back home if you really want," Touma crossed his arms and feigned insult.

Seiji chuckled. This was more like it. He would have to find out what was bothering his friend later. He didn't want to inquire about things that might be unpleasant as soon as they were reunited. They spent the next hour or so catching up on what each other had been doing while they were apart, talking mostly about Seiji's time in Judea. Touma laughed upon hearing the story of Herod's daughter, who was indeed obsessed with his friend. "She just wouldn't take no for an answer," Seiji said with a sigh. "I had to constantly watch my back because she would plan all sorts of tricks to get us alone together. I spent half the time there hiding in my room because of her!"

"Oh it couldn't have been that bad…"

Seiji shot him a look that told him, yes, it certainly could have been.

"Was she at least nice to look at?" Touma asked as he picked a piece of goat's meat off a tray that had been placed in between them for lunch.

"I'm sure she would have been if I could have gotten past the conceit spewing forth from her mouth. I've never met another woman more proud of her face than that one."

Touma laughed again. "I heard she had an eye for you. I didn't realize it was that bad."

Seiji groaned and looked at him. "Even people here in Rome know about it?"

Touma hesitated, looking as if he had said something that he hadn't meant to.

"Who did you heard it from?"

"It was just gossip…" he tried to wave it off.

"Out with it," Seiji said, narrowing his eyes and taking a sip of wine.

Touma sighed. "Gaius."

Seiji nearly choked. "You believe anything that comes out of that snake's mouth, don't you?" he snapped. He absolutely hated that man. He had hated him from the first time he had met them and asked Touma to be his guest for an afternoon. And he had hated the man even more when Touma first referred to him as his friend. Everything he had ever heard about Gaius had presaged the man turning into a monster as he aged. Nothing he had ever heard had given him reason not to believe it true. But it seemed Touma would not be dissuaded until the man personally wronged him. And because of that, Seiji worried for his friend.

Touma flinched. "Well this time he was speaking the truth…"

"That's beside the point. Honestly, why do you indulge that man by calling him your friend?"

"He's never given me reason not to…"

"You, no. But the way he's treated other 'friends' in the past should be example enough." He chewed aggressively on a piece of cheese, letting his annoyance show.

"Maybe so. But I feel like I can keep a better eye on him if I stay near him. Maybe prevent him from doing some harm," Touma said, staring off across the river.

"You think he would listen to you?"

"I hope he will." Touma paused for a moment as a gentle breeze sighed through the alcove. "I was going to have to tell you this anyways..."

Seiji looked at him questioningly.

"He asked about you."

"Asked about me?"

Touma nodded.

"What about me?"

The sideways glance Touma gave him told him all he needed to know. He groaned and ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Its alright." Touma said quickly. "I told him you were taken."

"You _lied_ to him?"

"Of course I did. I'm not letting him come after you."

Seiji sat up to look his friend directly in the eye. "Touma you don't lie to a man like that," he scolded. "There's no telling what he would do to you if he found out. I could have handled it myself."

"No, you couldn't have." Touma said seriously. "He's much less likely to lash out at me than he is at you if he were to find out. I had to take that risk."

"I appreciate it Touma, but you still shouldn't have done that. I don't want you putting yourself in that position for me," Seiji said quietly and shook his head, the worry evident on his face.

"It will be alright. I'm pretty sure Gaius won't pursue the issue."

Seiji leaned back on the couch again with a sigh, popping a grape into his mouth. After a moment, he smirked. "And if I'm asked, who do I say is the lucky person?" he chuckled.

Touma smiled and lifted his cup to his mouth. "I don't know, pick someone. I know you have tons of admirers."

"That person would have to know your secret though. For all that trouble then I should just say its you." He had meant it mostly as a joke, but he noticed Touma visibly stiffen for a moment, pausing with the cup still at his lips. "What?"

Touma lowered the cup and glanced sideways at him briefly, a hint of regret in his eyes.

"Why? Did you already tell him it was you?" Seiji asked incredulously.

His friend looked down and said nothing.

"Toum…"

Before he could finish, the sounds of voices at the front of the house caught their ears. A loud male voice called out, "SEIJIII!" followed by the sounds of angry scolding. _Damn it!_ Seiji closed his eyes in frustration. _Why now?_ He desperately wanted to continue his conversation with Touma, but he knew they wouldn't be able to with the new company. He stood with a sigh and looked down at Touma, who was staring vacantly out over the balcony.

"Well finish this later then," he said, letting a hint of his frustration show in his voice. Touma simply nodded and stood. Seiji turned from his friend and headed out to the courtyard, his mind quickly retracing their conversation. Nervous butterflies leapt in his stomach at the thought of Touma telling Gaius that they were more than good friends. Would Touma really do that? He had never given indication of truly having those feelings before, even through all of their friend's teasing and their own joking. Was Touma really just trying to protect him from Gaius, or was there something else to it? He shook his head. He would have to think about it later.

* * *

Touma felt like a fool as they walked. He angrily berated himself for not finding a better way to tell his friend about the lie. He had anguished over it all night long, which was the reason he had chosen to wait until the next day to come calling. But in the end, he couldn't find any other way to tell Seiji without also telling him about what Gaius suspected. If he hadn't told him then he would have risked both friends finding out about the lie, and then having both of them angry with him. So in the end he had decided to tell Seiji about it and let him take his words however he wanted to. He had planned to be more forthcoming with the truth, but nerves had gotten the better of him and he had floundered towards the end of their conversation. Now his friend was confused and he was embarrassed. 

They stepped out into the courtyard just as their three visitors did the same. Ryo, Shuu and Shin spotted them and headed their way.

"See? I told you Touma would be here! Aren't you glad we didn't stop by his house first now?" Shuu loudly proclaimed.

Shin swatted him on the back of his head. "I told you to keep your voice down. You're being too loud in someone else's house."

"I haven't heard anyone complain yet!" he growled back.

"They shouldn't have to!" Shin said, raising his own voice.

Shuu snickered. "Now who's getting loud?"

Shin glared angrily at him.

The five of them met in the middle of the courtyard and greeted each other warmly. Ryo smiled at Seiji. "Welcome back," he said. Shuu and Shin, briefly forgetting their argument, welcomed their friend home as well. Seiji smiled at them, "Thank you, its good to be back."

Ryo motioned to his brother. "Shuu and I just arrived back from Valencia yesterday. We thought we would go get the others and come see you. We haven't been together as a group in months."

Nodding, Seiji motioned for them to follow him into the alcove he and Touma had been sitting in. "We have a lot of catching up to do, don't we? We can sit and talk over here."

For the next few hours they caught up on the events of each other's lives over the past few months. Seiji retold the events of his time in Judea, for which the others teased him unrelentingly. They knew how nervous the attentions from admirers often made him. Shuu and Ryo told them about their trip to Valencia to visit Ryo's cousins. Shuu gloated about how popular he had been with the locals because of his exotic looks.

"The women loved my eyes! They were convinced I had them pinned back somehow to make them smaller. And they would follow me everywhere asking me to do tricks for them!" Shuu loved women, and never hesitated to point out when he received their attentions.

"He fell in love with one of them," Ryo teased.

"I did not," he growled. "She's just very… special to me, that's all," he said defensively.

They all chuckled.

"He writes her every day," Ryo whispered through a wide grin, loud enough for everyone to hear. Shuu adamantly denied it and they playfully bickered back and forth for a while.

Shin told of his trip to Sicilia and of the ocean side villa he had stayed in with family. Shin was in love with the ocean and took every chance he could get to travel to see it. His Greek cousins had taught him how to sail, and had tried to teach him to spear fish, but he had adamantly opposed the latter. He had also opposed eating any animal that had come from the sea, with the end result that he had lost quite a bit of weight during his time there.

"It was like a double edged sword," he said. "I was happy to be near the ocean, but I was starving the entire time because everything they ate came from there. And I couldn't bring myself to eat any of it. I think I insulted my aunt quite a bit by not eating any of her food," he said sheepishly.

His friends laughed. Poor Shin was the most sensitive of all of them, and had always had an affinity to the sea. His refusal to eat fish was nothing new to them, but they could only imagine how his relatives must have felt at his refusal of their food. He was tenacious if nothing else. But that's part of what made him so endearing.

When Touma revealed that he had only been doing much of what he normally did, studying in the libraries of Rome and sleeping, they all groaned and berated him just as his other friend had for not having a more "exciting" life. He had grinned and defended himself the best he could.

Eventually the conversation had shifted to other things and the hours wore on into the evening. They were enjoying dinner when Shuu suggested they all go riding the next day. "It would be nice to get out into the city again. I missed all my fans in Rome," he said through a mouthful of cooked pig. The others agreed.

Reaching for his wine, Seiji said, "Then just stay here tonight and we can all go out tomorrow together."

"Good idea! We're already all here anyways," Shin agreed.

Touma cursed silently. He remembered he had made plans already. "I cant," he said regretfully. "I have plans tomorrow."

"Then break them!" Shuu commanded, pointing a bone that had been picked clean of meat at him. He had consumed quite a bit of wine so far and his manners were suffering for it.

Touma smiled sadly. "I cant. I made a promise." He noticed Seiji staring him down out of the corner of his eye.

"Who could be more important than us?" Shuu prodded.

Touma resisted the urge to throw something at him. _Don't say it like that damn it!_ he thought. "Its not that he's more important…" Touma tried to defend himself but was cut off loudly by Shuu.

"Ha! I knew it! You're going to go hang out with your buddy Caligula again! Trying to win favor with the next emperor?" Shuu grinned teasingly. "Who else would you ditch us for?"

He frowned. "I'm not ditching you…" Touma sighed and stole a glance at Seiji, who had shifted his gaze down to the remnants of dinner in front of them, a reserved look on his face. "I made the plans last night. If I had known that all of this was going to happen today I would have refused his offer."

"It's alright Touma," Ryo said. "We can all do something when you come back. How long will you be gone?"

"A week at the most."

Ryo nodded. "Alright then, we'll just have to do without you tomorrow then," he smiled understandingly, and Shuu seemed content to leave it at that.

Touma gave Ryo a grateful smile. The others didn't have the distaste for Gaius that Seiji did, and for that Touma was thankful. It probably would have made for a very unpleasant conversation among them. But now he worried that Seiji would be more upset with him than ever.

The hours grew late and eventually Shin and Shuu dozed off from all the wine they had consumed. Ryo, Seiji and Touma were reclining on the balcony along the river, discussing random things. "We should buy a house. For the five of us," Ryo suggested with a yawn.

"We certainly have made enough money to," agreed Seiji.

Touma stretched. "A nice big villa up in the hills somewhere," he said. "On the outskirts of the city."

The other two nodded. "I've asked Shin and Shuu what they thought," Ryo said. "They like the idea. Maybe we can go look for one when you get back Touma."

Touma nodded. "Sounds good. So long as I have someplace to watch the stars, I'll be happy."

The other two smiled. "You and your stars," Ryo said fondly.

Touma stifled a yawn and blinked up at the night sky. "Which are telling me its late," he said, sitting up. "I should get going."

Seiji sat up as well. "Why don't you just stay here for the night?"

"We're leaving early in the morning. It's a full day's ride to Tibur, and I still have to prepare."

"Have a safe trip Touma," Ryo said, smiling up from the couch where he lay. "When you get back we will find something more interesting to fill your time."

Touma chuckled and smiled back at him. "Indeed."

Seiji went to stand. "I'll walk you out." But Touma held up his hand.

"Its alright. I'll show myself out." He just wanted to get out of there without getting into another awkward discussion with Seiji. He knew he was being a coward, and that he should clarify things with his friend. But he was tired from the wine, and just wanted to go home and retreat to his bed. _We can discuss it when I get back_, he told himself. "Goodnight you two," he said and then headed back into the house.

* * *

Seiji sat there for a moment, angry at his friend's abrupt departure. It had been uncomfortable between them all evening, and now another week would go by without them resolving anything. He couldn't just let it go. He stood up suddenly and looked in the direction Touma had just gone. "Ill be right back," he said to a startled Ryo, who stared questionably after him as he hurried into the house. He headed into the atrium and through the entryway leading to the street outside. 

Touma was just about to mount his horse as he rushed out. "Touma, wait," he said, catching his friend's arm. "I want to talk to you."

Touma blanched at his touch and gently twisted away from his friend. "I told you, I have to go. Its late," he said, trying to ignore Seiji's words. He vaulted swiftly onto his horse and gathered the reins.

Seiji gritted his teeth and grabbed the horse's bridle. "I want to know Touma."

"Seiji, let go of my horse." He was obviously desperate to leave, and Seiji's refusal to let him go was only making his urge to flee greater.

"Did you tell him it was you?"

"I didn't tell him anything! You don't tell something like that to that man, otherwise he runs wild with it."

"Did you _want_ to tell him it was you?"

"Shut up!" Touma yelled angrily. "I only did it to keep him from coming after you, like I said. That's all!" He paused suddenly, looking stricken by his own words.

"Touma…" Seiji stared up at him, unable to hide the hurt that his friend's words had elicited.

He turned from Seiji in dismay at his outburst. "I'm sorry, I'll talk to you when I get back." He pulled the horse's head to the side, yanking the bridle from Seiji's grasp, and quickly took off down the road.

Seiji called after him, but his friend didn't stop and was soon lost from view. He stood there a moment, feeling utterly helpless. He had meant to fix the situation, but now he feared he had only aggravated it. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" he muttered angrily through his teeth.

"Seiji…" came Ryo's voice from the doorway.

He turned quickly to find his friend standing just inside the door.

"What was all that about?" he asked carefully.

Seiji sighed and walked back inside, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Lover's spat?" he offered jokingly, trying to diffuse Ryo's concern. The last thing he needed was his friends getting involved. But Ryo didn't look convinced. "It was nothing. I meant to clarify something we had discussed earlier, but it looks like I only made things worse. I'll give him some time too cool off and try again when he returns." He wandered back into the house.

Ryo stared off down the street in the direction Touma had disappeared before closing the gate and following after Seiji. "Anything I can help with?"

Seiji shook his head. "No, but thank you anyways. This is something Touma and I will have to work out on our own." _Just as soon as he gets back_, he thought resolutely.

Continued in Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for the kind reviews guys! Its awesome to know others are enjoying this as much as I am :D! _

_In response to the question about female action in the story, here was my response, in case anyone else was interested as well: Hopefully I'll be able to include both of the girls. It's all gonna depend on if I decide to do the side story that would fall somewhere in the middle of the main one. I'll do my best to try to squeeze it in though! Provided this thing doesn't become some monster epic, heh…_


	6. Chapter 3

_Heres where the story starts to earn its rating folks :P. You were warned in the preface! Nothing extremely graphic, but like I said: Adultness-ness will ensue! _

Chapter 3

The last thing in the world Touma wanted to do was get out of bed. He had hardly slept at all during the night, the events of the previous evening still weighing too heavily on him to allow his mind any peace. The sun hadn't yet risen as he pulled his blankets over his head and willed the hours to slow so that he could stay hidden a bit longer. But the crowing of roosters outside couldn't be ignored, and at last he grudgingly drug himself from his bed. An unpleasantly humid air had begun creeping in through the windows the night before, and he had closed the shutters in an attempt to keep the dampness out of his room. As he opened them again to allow the first light of the early morning in, he saw the entire city engulfed in a thick blanket of fog. He groaned. That was going to make an already unpleasant morning even more so.

He quickly washed, dressed, and pulled some clothing from a large chest that sat on the opposite wall from his bed. After placing the clothes and a few other possessions he would need for the week into a small pack, he pulled on a heavier outer robe to fend off the chill of the morning. He reached into the chest one last time and withdrew a long, hooded cloak. Touma took a moment to gaze admiringly at the meticulously made garment.

It was one of five that had been made for the troupe by one of the city's most esteemed tailors, who, after witnessing one of their shows, had decided to gift them with cloaks to match their richly colored performing silks. Touma's was the color of midnight blue, and was trimmed along its edges in gold. The inside of the cloak was a light brown color, trimmed in the same rich blue as the opposite side. It had been made this way in order to be reversible and to afford the wearer some anonymity while dressed in it. When they wanted to be recognized in public they could wear the colored side outwards, and when they wished to go unnoticed, they could wear the neutral side out. Because of this, the cloaks had been an invaluable gift to them and they used them every time the weather was cool enough to do so.

He draped it over his arm, picked up the pack and quietly headed downstairs. He assumed from the silence in the house that his parents were still asleep. Calling for his horse, he sat and began putting on his boots. He heard footsteps and looked up to see his father walking into the atrium from the courtyard, heading toward him. Touma prepared himself for another word of warning from him. He knew the man wasn't happy about the trip. While his father didn't carry the same open distaste for Gaius that Seiji did, his son's friendship with the young noble had never sat well with him.

This morning however, his father surprised him by giving him only a strong embrace and a wish for a safe journey. Touma knew the look in his eyes. It was one of resignation. He understood that his son was going to go no matter what he said, and the least he could do was to send him off amicably. He walked with Touma out to the street. Waiting for them was a servant holding the reigns of a gray horse with a black mane and tail. Touma frowned in confusion. "Father?" he turned to the older man.

"I want you to take the gray mare this time. She has a steady gate, and that will make the trip easier for you."

Touma looked at his father with wide eyes. It was the man's favorite horse. "Your sure?"

"I know you will take good care of her."

Touma smiled and ran a hand down the length of the mare's neck. She was a beautiful, well toned animal, one that any man would be proud to be seen riding upon.

He wrapped the cloak around his shoulders, brown side out, and fastened it at his neck. He hoisted himself atop the horse and reached down to take his pack from the servant. "Give mother my love," he said to his father.

His father nodded and with that Touma turned and headed down the street, quickly loosing sight of those behind him in the fog. The chill of the early morning was harsh in his lungs, and within a few minutes he felt the fog collecting on his skin. He wrapped the cloak tightly around his body and pulled the hood low over his head. He didn't want to be soaked by the time he arrived at the estate. Winding his way through the streets, he tried to busy his mind with random things, but ultimately his thoughts always drifted back to the night before. The look on Seiji's face after he had yelled at him had cut Touma like a blade. He knew that look would haunt him for the rest of the week. Now Seiji was probably furious with him, and the last thing Touma ever wanted was to anger his best friend. But it was his own fault. He shouldn't have tried to run away with out discussing things, and his guilt would serve as punishment for a while.

As he rode up to the estate he found several slaves attending to horses and a large carriage just outside the gates. He dismounted and, after giving charge of his horse to one of the slaves, was lead by an attendant into the house. When asked to wait in the lush anteroom at the front of the house, he sighed, thinking that probably meant his friend hadn't even gotten out of bed yet. Finally the sounds of voices began to filter through the halls, and eventually Gaius himself appeared, sounding a bit irritable. He was complaining loudly about something when he walked into the room and saw Touma. His demeanor immediately brightened as he greeted his friend excitedly.

They ate a quick breakfast and were then ushered out to the small caravan waiting in the street. By this time the sun was high enough in the sky to begin burning off some of the fog, and visibility had improved greatly. Before his friend could complain at him, Touma removed his cloak and turned it so that the blue side faced out. Gaius required anyone seen in public with him to be presented in his or her finest, and the exquisite cloaks were one of the troupe's trademarks. Any person of importance who they traveled with wanted to make sure onlookers recognized the celebrated company they kept, and always insisted the boys wear their cloaks.

Touma finished refastening the clasp at his neck as he waited for his friend. After Gaius' attendants helped him mount his horse he began barking orders at the slaves and guardsmen who were accompanying them. Several attendants quickly climbed into the carriage. Touma shook his head as he mounted his own horse, glad his trips didn't end up being this much of a production. Gaius instructed Touma to ride to his right and he smiled cheerfully as they headed out.

"I'm so glad you decided to join me this week Touma. Whether you like it or not, were going to add some excitement to your life. Your going to come back from this trip a new man!" he said, sitting proudly atop his white mount.

Touma grimaced inwardly, but gave the man the best smile he could manage. He appreciated his friend's efforts to make his life more interesting, but Gaius' ways of doing so often included situations in which Touma found himself uncomfortable, and now he found himself dreading this trip even more. He cursed the bad timing that had caused him to accept Gaius' invitation before that of his other friends.

The streets were already busy with the city's residents. As the procession passed and the people recognized the man on the white horse, they paused to cheer and call out to him. Even before he was named as a potential successor to the emperor, Gaius had been a star among the people of Rome. His father had been the adopted grandson of the emperor Augustus, and also a famous general in the Roman army. His mother was the granddaughter of the same emperor. Having such famous parents had aided greatly in his popularity among the people, and as a child he had accompanied his parents on military campaigns in northern Germainia, becoming a beloved mascot for his father's troops. It was they who had given him the nickname Caligula, after the tiny military style boots called caliga his parents had made him wear. If the army of Rome loved you, so did its citizens.

As the people lined the streets to cheer for this impromptu parade, Touma heard a few shouts here and there of his own name. He nodded and smiled, but didn't wave. He didn't want to give Gaius reason to think he wasn't receiving all the attention. It would have turned his friend's mood sour very quickly. And his friend was greatly enjoying all the attention he was receiving, calling out to the crowds and reaching down to touch their hands as he rode past. But it made the pace very slow, and Touma feared they wouldn't even be out of the city by midday at the rate they were going.

A large crowd had formed at an intersection ahead of them, and the guards on horseback accompanying them worked quickly to make way for the procession. It slowed them momentarily, and just before they moved to turn the corner, something straight ahead caught Touma's eye. A figure on horseback stood just behind the crowd, facing toward them. A light brown cloak that was trimmed with green covered the figure, and Touma recognized it immediately as a match to his own. The hood was pulled up over the figure's face, hiding it from view, but he didn't need to see the face to know who was underneath.

"Seiji…" Touma whispered, stunned at seeing him there. He had to fight the urge to draw up his horse and head towards his other friend, but the crowds had him trapped in the street, and it would have angered Gaius to have his parade interrupted. Touma stared at the figure as they rounded the corner, and then he was lost from sight behind a building as they continued down the road.

He continued to stare behind him until he heard Gaius' voice ask, "Is everything alright Touma?"

Touma snapped his head back around and quickly nodded.

"See someone in the crowd you know?"

"I thought so, but I was probably mistaken."

Gaius seemed satisfied with that and went back to greeting the crowds.

_Why?_ Touma thought. _Why would he come out to watch me leave?_ _He must still be angry, so what is he doing out here?_

_

* * *

_He had no idea what he was doing out here. Without giving it much thought he had gotten up from his bed and sneaked quietly out of his house, being careful not to wake his friends. After throwing on his cloak as a servant had fetched his horse, he had taken off into the cold, damp morning and wandered the city for a couple of hours, finally stopping to wait along the main avenue coming down out of Palatine Hill. He had ignored the absurdity of his actions, instead focusing on his annoyance at who it was he was waiting for. And eventually along they came, his friend looking embarrassed and uncomfortable at all the fanfare. Seiji figured Gaius would make a big show out of his departure, and it angered him even more to see his assumption come true.

It infuriated him. To see his friend being paraded through the streets with that man like some prized dog made him grip his reins with white knuckles. He had wanted to call out to Touma, wave or something. Anything. But instead he had simply sat there. He knew Touma had seen him, and now his friend was probably just as confused to see Seiji standing there as Seiji had been to find himself waiting for him.

He turned his horse away from the crowds angrily and began to make his way back to his home. _He is so blind_, he fumed as he wound his way through the streets. _He can't see the obvious when it's right in front of him!_ But slowly, an unexpected guilt began to play at the edges of his mind. _Maybe he's not the only one…_ But he shook his head before he could think about it anymore and hurried home.

* * *

Once they finally made their way out of the city, they began to make good time as they headed to the west and into the mountains. As they emerged from the mountains, the countryside opened out before them. Gently rolling hills dotted with farms and vineyards stretched as far as they could see, and tall evergreens and cypresses lined the stone paved roads they traveled along. The sky was mostly overcast, but the clouds above them would break here and there to allow the sun to reach through and run its beams across the hills in the distance. 

Shortly before the sun began its final descent into the sky, they arrived in the resort town of Tibur. It was Touma's first trip to the town, and he marveled at the magnificent villas perched atop lush hillsides and the sprawling fields of grape vines, fruit orchards and olive trees that surrounded each estate. They wound their way through the town before turning off onto a path that led up into a large group of foothills. As they passed over a small bridge, a magnificent waterfall came into view, pouring its way down one side of the largest hill, pounding loudly on the rocks at its base, then calming into a steady river that flowed beneath the bridge and disappeared into the forest. At the top of the waterfall, sitting just at the edge of the hillside, he could see a large, stately home shaded by ancient trees. Gaius pointed to the building.

"There it is," he said proudly. "Tiberius built it years ago, before he decided to seclude himself in Capri. He never used this villa, but said that I could as much as I wanted," he explained. "It's nothing compared to the villa in Capri, but it's easier to get to from Rome."

Touma nodded. "Its beautiful."

Gaius grinned. "Wait until you see the inside, my friend."

He was right. The inside of the villa was more extravagant than any vacation home Touma had ever seen. The interior was much like Gaius' estate back in the city, only much more spacious, with a larger courtyard, higher ceilings and larger windows. The floors were beautifully decorated with intricate tile mosaics, and the walls were covered in tapestries and painted with vibrant murals depicting all kinds of stories, legends and historical heroes. Huge colonnades and archways encased the building, opening out to terraces with breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Touma wandered his way out onto one of the larger terraces that had a good view of the town below and stared out admiringly. The sun was just at the horizon now, and the shadows in the surrounding meadows and woods were growing long. A fine mist was rising from the ground, blanketing the countryside.

Gaius walked up next to him and gazed out over the scenery. "I told you so."

Touma chuckled. "It's the most magnificent villa I've ever seen. Your lucky to have acquired it."

Gaius shrugged. "Its not bad. If I didn't despise Capri so much I would have taken you there instead," he said, his voice taking on an icy tone.

Touma continued to admire the view, remembering back to some of the stories Gaius had told him of his time in Capri with Tiberius. After the exile of his parents, Gaius had remained in Capri with Tiberius as the man's "guest", but had really been no more than a hostage. The emperor's sanity had begun to deteriorate in his old age. He had become paranoid, and increasingly perverse. Gaius had been exposed to all manners of decadence and depravity as a boy, and Touma had no doubt that his friend's time there had had severely damaging effects on him.

"Does the villa in Capri have a range?" Touma asked with a clever smile.

Gaius smirked. "No, it doesn't."

"Then this one will do just fine."

Gaius shook his head. "You always know how to distract me from my demons…" He gazed out over the hills. "Its infuriating."

Touma glanced up at his friend, who was smiling wistfully out at the horizon. He snorted. "Next time I'll let you ruin your mood then," he said, feigning hurt.

His friend laughed. "Well, if you like it so much, when I become emperor, I'll have you live here," he said complacently and headed back into the house.

Touma raised an eyebrow at his retreating back. Something about the way Gaius had said that didn't sit well with him, but then his stomach growled loudly, distracting him. He brushed off his unease and followed his friend into the house. It was almost time for dinner, and he was starving.

* * *

"Hey. You've been moping all day. What's wrong?" Shuu asked as they rode slowly down the street. The four young men had spent the day visiting friends and patrons and greeting crowds who had gathered to see them, and were now heading back to Seiji's home. 

Shuu's comment had been directed at Seiji, but the man in the green cloak continued to ride beside them silently, eyes unfocused.

"Seiji…" Shuu prodded. When that still didn't work, he reached over with a foot and kicked his friend's leg. "Hey! Wake up!"

Seiji jerked away from the kick and blinked at Shuu. "What?" He had been thoroughly lost in his thoughts and not paying attention to his friend's conversations.

"See? This is what I was talking about." Shuu glared at the other man. "You've been out of it all day. What's wrong with you?"

Seiji narrowed his eyes and turned back to the road in front of him. _Everything's wrong with me, _he thought. "Nothing. Sorry," he replied.

Shuu sighed. "So stoic. Your always in a better mood when Toumas around."

_He's right. _"Your right, I am," Seiji agreed.

"But this is worse than normal…"

"Shuu…" Ryo interrupted. "That girl who pulled you off to the side earlier when we were in the Forum, who was she?"

Instantly distracted, Shuu replied brightly "Ahh, you mean Presia? Isn't she a beauty? She's been making eyes at me for months now and I…" As he continued to ramble on mindlessly, Seiji gave Ryo a thankful glance. Ryo was still the only one who knew about the fight between himself and Touma the night before, and the only one who would know that, right now, Touma was a subject Seiji preferred not to talk about. Ryo gave him a knowing look and continued to distract Shuu with questions that Seiji was sure he had little interest in learning the answers to.

He turned his eyes upward to the darkening sky. The anger he had felt earlier when seeing Touma leave the city with Gaius had stayed with him throughout the day. It was preventing him from thinking clearly, and more importantly, from finding the best way to handle what his friend had told him the evening before. And his frustration was only getting worse with each passing hour. The day had been so busy he hadn't had a moments rest to try to sort his thoughts. He was sure if he could just get a few minutes of quiet he could figure everything out. He was hoping to get some time later after the others had fallen asleep, but he was so tired from the day's events that he doubted he would be able to stay awake long enough for his mind to find any kind of resolution.

Suddenly, Shin laughed loudly at something Shuu had said, briefly distracting him.

"And if she had asked you, what would you have said?" he heard Shin ask.

_What would you have said?_ As if turning a key in a lock, his words triggered something in Seiji's mind. _What would you have said?_ He swallowed dryly as the question formed completely in his mind. _If Touma hadn't run away, what would you have said?_

Without a moment's hesitation or second thought, he answered,_ I would have told him I didn't mind if Gaius thought Touma and I were intimate_.

The quickness and absolute honesty of his answer startled him, and immediately the random thoughts and emotions that had been plaguing him all day began to form one coherent realization in his mind. He suddenly realized that, somewhere along the way, he had grown to care for Touma so much that the idea of being something more to him didn't seem like such a strange notion. Touma was his best friend, and was closer to him than a brother. The truth was, they were so close that Seiji had sometimes wondered what it would be like to be in a deeper relationship with his friend. But he was so clumsy and Touma so indifferent when it came to romantic endeavors that he had always brushed the thought aside, not wanting to cause any turmoil in their friendship just to satisfy curiosity. _But now… if that's something that Touma really does want, could I share the same feelings for him?_

Again, the answer came to him immediately_. Of course I could. _Among all the people he had ever met, none could put his mind at ease, none could make him laugh, none could distract him from his troubles, and none could make him drop his guard by simply being near him like Touma could. _Of course I could, _he repeated in his mind, smiling. He sighed, enjoying his brief moment of clarity. Then he almost smirked. He was actually surprised this hadn't happened sooner, with all the joking they had done over the years. He was sure it probably would have, if it weren't for their friends always being around to spoil any small moments with their good-natured joking.

_So it was jealousy after all_, he thought, remembering back to the scene earlier that morning that had set his mood off. He realized that, in addition to the fact that he believed Gaius to be a monster, it was also his jealousy of the man's relationship with Touma that made Seiji dislike him so. Because of the noble's depraved and gluttonous reputation, Seiji had always been concerned for his friend's well being. But now he realized that because of the man's repute, he had also seen him as competition for Touma's attention. That too would be something that they would have to settle once and for all when his friend returned.

Seiji set his eyes straight ahead, a new determination burning in them. _Be safe, and come home soon Touma._

_

* * *

_Touma was feeling his spirits. It was only natural considering all the drinking he had been doing that evening since they arrived. They had eaten a huge dinner and had then retired to one of the villa's many terraces to lounge about and drink wine for the rest of the evening.

"I'm actually surprised," Touma said, raising his cup to an attendant who filled it with more of the spiced wine they had been enjoying. "I was expecting some huge dinner party the first night we got here."

Gaius chuckled. "Even I know my limits after a long day's journey. The idea was tempting, but I didn't think either one of us would be up to a party tonight. But…" he smiled mischievously. "that doesn't mean that I'm going to go easy on you the rest of the week. You wont be getting much sleep after tonight my friend."

Touma rolled his eyes. "What sort of devious things do you have planned?"

Gaius smiled over his cup and said nothing.

Touma snorted, his mind too fuzzy from the wine to protest his friends teasing. "Just don't get me killed or exiled. That's all I ask." He carelessly threw back the entire glass of wine and held out the cup for another refill.

His friend laughed. "I would never do that to such a good friend." He watched as Touma quickly finished off another full cup. "You're going to make yourself sick."

Touma's head was swimming. "I don't care."

Gaius regarded him thoughtfully for a long while, calmly sipping at his own drink. Touma was stretched out on the couch, staring through glassy eyes up at the evening sky. The two remained silent for a long while. Eventually, Gaius leaned over to set his cup down on the table next to him. As he did so, he asked, "Is something wrong Touma?"

Touma lolled his head back and forth.

"You were distracted all day on the ride here, and at dinner as well. It's not like you to be so troubled."

Somewhere in the back of Touma's mind a warning went out for him to guard his tongue. But his mind was so muddied by all the drinking that he barely noticed it. "I just have a lot on my mind I guess. It's my own damn fault."

"Something happen with your friends?"

The wine was making Touma careless. "Just a fight, after I told him. I couldn't say it how I wanted to though…" His mind was screaming at him to shut his mouth, but now that the floodgates had opened, Touma was finding it very hard to stop talking, and he continued to babble on. "I had to tell him. He would have found out anyways. And I didn't want to risk him finding out on his own. Maybe I should have just told him everything. We should have at least finished talking. I'm so selfish. Now he's confused and I'm an idiot and I've messed up everything. I shouldn't have run away like that. I don't know what to do…" He laid an arm across his eyes and sighed.

Gaius stared at him for a moment, then said dryly, "Its Seiji isn't it?"

Touma cringed. Sobering slightly, he realized he had said too much and his friend had caught on to who it was he was talking about. He knew in his drunken state there was no way he could talk his way out of this. All he could do was nod his head miserably.

Gaius sighed. "I figured from the way you spoke about him the other night. He isn't really taken is he? You lied to keep me away from him."

Touma nodded again, his eyes still hidden under his arm. "I just wanted to…" he began but then stopped himself, gritting his teeth and trying desperately to concentrate on making sure he didn't say anything else that would just make the situation worse. _I just wanted to protect him, and keep him…_

Instead of becoming angry about the lie, Gaius asked, "So… did you do it for your friend, or for yourself?"

The question surprised Touma. He remained silent for a while, then said softly, "Myself."

"So _he's_ the one you've been pining after all this time then."

"Yeah."

"Does he know?"

Removing the arm from his eyes, Touma stared blankly up at the sky. "I don't know. We didn't talk about it. I left before we could. I even yelled at him when he tried to stop me. He's probably furious with me now." He ran a hand through his hair. "I wouldn't blame you if you were too."

Gaius remained silent for a while, much to Touma's dismay. But when he finally did speak again, his words were smoother and more calming than Touma had ever thought the man capable of. "Well, Seiji may hate you, but I don't Touma." He reached over and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

_I didn't say he hated me,_ Touma thought. _Did I?_ His mind was still clouded by the wine. He felt a small squeeze on his shoulder and looked up at his friend. Gaius was smiling calmly at him, but Touma wondered if he would have been able to read something else in that smile had he been more sober.

"I think you need to sleep off some of your wine, and you'll feel better in the morning," the older man said. Touma nodded and Gaius waved for an attendant. "Help him to his room," he instructed. As Touma stood on unsure legs, Gaius smiled up at him. "Don't worry my friend. You can forget about your troubles while you're here. Save them until we have to return to Rome."

Touma nodded gratefully. "Thank you. Goodnight." With that the attendant helped him back into the house and led him to a bedroom. After excusing the attendant, Touma closed the door behind him and staggered his way over to the bed. He lay down wearily, and almost as soon as he closed his eyes he was asleep. He didn't wake once the entire night.

The next day, after a large breakfast, Gaius took him to the villa's archery range. It was a large field located at the base of the hill the villa sat atop. Touma gaped as he looked out into the field and saw targets of every shape and size that had been set up, arranged in places and ways that would prove challenging even for him. There were some set in trees on the farthest end of the field, as well as deep in some tall grasses just before the tree line. There were even moving targets that ran on ropes across the field, moved by the weight of attached sandbags that were dropped off of tall wooden towers on either side of the clearing. Gaius had supplied them with the finest bows Touma had ever seen, and they spent the better part of the day trying to outdo each other in marksmanship. Much to Gaius' annoyance, Touma won almost every one of their matches, as usual.

As the sun began to sink slowly towards the west, they headed back to the house, where they bathed and changed into clean clothes for dinner. Just as Touma expected, guests began to arrive shortly before the food was served. Gaius only grinned and shrugged at him. "I told you not to expect such peaceful evenings for the rest of our time here didn't I?"

Touma rolled his eyes but decided to make the best of it. The guests were all around his age, and came from the families of senate members or wealthy citizens. They were all vacationing in Tibur as well. A few he had even met before at previous parties and occasions. They numbered fourteen in all at dinner, and Touma was certain that their enormous meal could have fed a small army. After they had eaten, everyone participated in several rounds of a drinking game called _acommissatio_, where all the guests had to empty their wine glasses in one go. Touma did his best to pace himself, but he still began to feel the effects of the wine after just a few rounds.

Eventually they all moved out into the large courtyard in the middle of the house to socialize and continue on with different games. Barely sober, Touma graciously tried to bow out of the ones that included drinking, but was only partly successful, most of the time finding himself pressured into "just one more round". He had to admit it; he was actually enjoying himself at one of Gaius' parties for a change. One of the guests, a young, attractive woman with tempting curves sitting next to him started up a conversation, and he found himself happy to indulge her, though he was certain the wine had something to do with it.

As they talked Touma noticed she seemed to be moving closer to him, and eventually she was sidled up right next to him. He couldn't help but notice her breast brushing against his arm when she would turn towards him, but it didn't surprise him. He was used to these kinds of people being around Gaius, and this normally happened to him at parties he attended with his friend. It was part of what always made him so uncomfortable. He certainly wasn't a prude, but he had come to the realization some time ago that if the person he was with wasn't the one he wanted, then he didn't get any pleasure out of the experience. So normally he shunned any kind of physical diversion. Tonight however, he found himself flattered by the attention and the distraction from his troubles that both she and the drinking were providing him.

_It must be all the wine,_ he thought as she slipped a delicate hand behind his neck and pulled his face down to hers. _That must be why this doesn't bother me… why it doesn't matter. _She brushed soft lips against his and, without thinking about what he was doing, he returned the kiss gently. A sudden small wave of self-consciousness made him glance around the courtyard to see if anyone was watching them, but to his surprise, everyone else was either engaged in the same act or engrossed in conversation. The two of them were sitting off to the far side of the garden, so no one paid them any mind.

She insistently deepened the kiss and, as he accommodated her, his eyes found Gaius at the other end of the garden, sitting in the group still holding conversation. He wasn't participating in the discussion however. He was barely even moving. His eyes were locked onto Touma, his face completely devoid of any emotion. But the fierce intensity in his eyes made Touma shudder slightly. Gaius looked almost… furious.

As she reached her arms up and around his neck, he let his eyes slide shut, desperately wanting to escape his friends unsettling stare. She leaned into him, pressing her chest tightly against his and running thin fingers through his hair. His head was swimming again, and he found himself becoming more willing to give in to the temptation of this woman. Anything to forget his troubles, even if it was just for a little while.

A voice at the front of the courtyard suddenly caught his attention. "I think that's enough for one evening," Gaius was saying with a smile as he stood. "We can continue this another night." All his guests groaned at him.

"What are you talking about? You never end a party this early," one of the men sitting near him said incredulously.

"Well tonight I'm making an exception. I'll make it up to all of you, I promise," he replied. "I'm just still very tired from the ride yesterday."

The woman, who had also heard Gaius, pushed off of Touma in a huff, whispering a promise in his ear to finish what they had started the next time they met. But Touma only half heard her. He was looking at his friend who he could tell was forcing his smile. He wondered what had happened to change Gaius' mood so abruptly. He had been in good spirits all day and into the evening. So why had things changed all of a sudden?

As the last guest was leaving, Gaius turned to Touma and asked quietly, "Are you sober enough to ride?"

Touma gave him a confused look. "I think so."

His friend nodded. "Good. Ill have the horses prepared."

"Where are we…?"

"You'll see," Gaius cut him off with an impish smile. He quickly headed off down a corridor, leaving a bemused Touma in his wake. He returned a few minutes later with a pair of attendants and four guards. One of the attendants carried a stack of towels, and the other carried two water skins.

Touma blinked at his friend, completely clueless as to what the man was up to. But Gaius glided right past him and out to the front of the home, where slaves were waiting with their horses. "Lets go my friend," he called to Touma, who was lagging a few steps behind him. Still bewildered by his friends behavior, Touma only nodded and mounted quickly. He knew that whatever it was Gaius was planning was going to remain a secret until his friend decided otherwise. With a guard leading the way, they left the yard of the house and made their way further into the hills, the fire from the guard's torches the only source of light along the wooded path. Touma stole a few worried glances at Gaius as they rode, but the man only stared straight ahead, a serene look on his face. As they rode, Touma noticed that the temperature was beginning to drop significantly. It had been unusually warm for the past week or so. Normally the temperature at this time of year was much colder. _Perhaps the weather is returning to normal,_ he mused as he pulled his clothing tighter to his body.

Eventually they came to a small clearing in the middle of the woods. To the far side of the clearing, nestled against the side of a steep hill and lit by starlight, was a large, dark pool with rocks surrounding its banks. Steam billowed up from the surface of the water. "It's a volcanic spring." Touma said, surprised. Gaius stopped his horse and dismounted, motioning for Touma to do the same.

"I figured we could both use a bit of unwinding," Gaius said, handing his reins to a guard.

They wandered over to the water with the attendants following behind. They undressed and each took from the attendants small towels with which to wrap around their waists. Touma eagerly waded into the hot water, cringing a bit at the heat. He sunk down to his shoulders with a contented sigh as his friend followed him. They wadded a bit to get used to the temperature, then wandered back to the water's edge. Gaius motioned for the attendant with the water skins, and she quickly handed them to him. He waved her off and she and the other attendant headed back to where the guards were standing. As a group they all headed back down the small path.

"Where are they going?" Touma asked.

"Just far enough to where they won't bother us. I don't want them hovering about right now," he said with a dismissive wave.

Touma noticed he could still see the light from the guard's torches through the trees where the group had stopped. They were far enough away where they wouldn't be imposing, but close enough to be within earshot should they be needed. He sighed and splashed his face. "This was a great idea. I haven't been to a spring in ages."

"I'm glad you like it," Gaius said, tossing one of the water skins to him. "Drink up. That's a specialty of the wine makers around here."

Touma caught the skin and pulled the cork out of the top. "I hadn't planned on drinking again tonight…"

"Oh stop it. Were supposed to be enjoying ourselves out here Touma," Gaius said, sounding slightly annoyed.

Touma shrugged and sipped some of the wine. It was deliciously sweet. "Its good!" He exclaimed.

Gaius smiled and raised his own skin to his lips. "I know. I was saving it for a special occasion."

They continued to sit in the water enjoying the wine, neither one saying much for a while. Then finally Touma spoke up. "So why _did_ you end the party so early tonight?" His words sounded slow coming off of his tongue, and he thought it was strange for the drink to be affecting him already.

His friend sat quietly for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully before he spoke. "Because I wasn't enjoying myself anymore."

"Why not?" Touma squinted and shook his head. He was dizzy all of a sudden. _It must be the heat from the water._ He tried to prop himself higher in the water but found that his movements were slow, and he only succeeded in making the feeling worse.

Gaius looked at him languidly. "Because I saw something that made me angry."

Touma was trying to push himself back up onto the shore without alerting his friend to his sudden trouble. "What made you angry?" he asked, more concerned with his own condition than his friend's answer. He just needed to get out of the water and cool off…

His friend gazed back out over the spring. "You. Indulging that filthy whore," he said coldly.

_What?_ Gaius' words registered with Touma just as his hand slipped on the embankment, and he slid back into the water with a splash. Suddenly he was barely able to move his limbs. He realized in a panic that he wouldn't be able to pull himself out of the water in his state. Ignoring his friends comment he said quickly "Gaius, help me out of the water… Something…" He sank a bit and water threatened to fill his mouth. "Something's wrong… I can't move…"

Gaius turned to him again, a cold, distant look on his face. He sighed and waded over to the younger man, grabbing him from behind. He wrapped his arms around Touma's chest and hauled him higher in the water, pulling him toward the shore. Touma was in a panic. "I can't move Gaius. My arms, my legs… they won't work…" he said fearfully. His limbs were useless. He was still able to keep his head up, and could move his arms, but just barely.

Suddenly, he felt Gaius lean in close to his ear. "Shhhhh," his friend quieted him as they drifted towards shore. "I know."

Touma stiffened. A sudden sense of dread took hold of him as Gaius hauled him onto the bank and then stopped, letting their legs remain in the warm water. Still holding Touma from behind, he leaned back against a large rock and pulled the younger man up against him. He sighed and dropped his chin to rest on Touma's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Touma asked roughly. "What do you mean you 'know'?"

"I mean I drugged your wine." Gaius replied simply. "I brought you up here and gave you that skin on purpose. Because you angered me." Touma shuddered as the man leaned in to place his lips against his ear as he said, "I told you. I saw something I didn't like. You and that bitch, together. And _you_, looking at me the whole time. Were you trying to make me jealous? Excited? Because it worked…" he said, letting his breath drift over Touma's ear.

Touma tried to steady his mind. It was in a haze from whatever it was that Gaius had slipped into his drink, and he was having a hard time concentrating. "Of course not! You said have a good time…"

"I didn't mean with that bitch!" Gaius hissed, squeezing his waist. "I would rather you had chosen me."

Touma tried to swallow his panic. "I didn't know… You never said anything..." He tried to push away, but his body still wouldn't cooperate.

Gaius smiled, almost sadly. "I've tried to tell you, in subtle ways. But the gentle touch doesn't work with you, Touma." He reached up to brush the younger man's hair gently. "You're brilliant and well educated, but when it comes to matters of love, you can be remarkably stubborn and timid. That's why I had to show you this way. I didn't want to, but you would have just run away if I hadn't. Like you did with your other little friend." The last bit he whispered maliciously, slowly running his fingertips along the length Touma's arms.

_That was a completely different situation!_ Touma thought. He was furious now, his anger helping to clear his mind a bit. "And by drugging me, what exactly is it your trying to show me other than the fact you think I'm a coward?"

Gaius grinned and leaned in closer. "That I'm better for you than any other man, especially Seiji. Even if it means I have to force myself on you. I have to make you see, Touma. Why would someone choose a common man when they could have an emperor, a man who is almost a _god_?"

"Don't you dare say that. My feelings have nothing to do with any need for power. I don't want a god…"

Gaius chuckled against him. "Such an honorable man. But you're just fooling yourself. Everyone adores me, and everyone _wants_ me. Including you. You just seem to be the only one who hasn't realized it yet. And Touma…" he said, reaching up to grab a fist full of the younger man's hair. He pulled Touma's head back slightly so that they were eye to eye. "Take care to guard your tone around me. I can say whatever I want. And don't forget, my friend. As the emperor, I can also _have_ whatever I want…" he said, reaching up from behind to run his fingernails lightly along Touma's collar bone.

Touma's eyes hardened in defiance. "Your not emperor yet Gaius."

The hand stopped at the middle of his collarbone, stiffening.

With a snarl, Gaius pressed his fingertips into Touma's skin and viciously raked his nails down the younger man's chest, eliciting a small cry of pain from him. "Stop saying that!" The older man almost screamed. "You stupid little dog!" Gripping his fistful of Touma's hair roughly, Gaius lifted him up by his head, and thrust him out to arms length. Helpless to fight back, Touma felt him pull back with his other arm, and then his head exploded in pain as the man's fist slammed into his temple. The force of the blow knocked him out of Gaius' grasp, ripping his hair from its roots where he had been held, and threw him back into the water face first.

Touma's ears were ringing loudly and he tried to blink away bright flashes of white light. He held his breath as he struggled to right himself into a position where he could breath, but his body still refused to work. Running out of breath, he fought back panic as he felt consciousness begin to slip away.

Suddenly, he felt two strong arms lift him from behind, and he gasped desperately as his face broke the surface of the water. He hung limply as Gaius carried him back onto the shore again. "Like I said Touma… gentle doesn't work with you," Gaius said wearily as he dropped him onto the ground, flat on his stomach. He sat down next to the younger man and shook his hand loosely in the air. "Damn it that hurt! I hit you with my rings on. I could have broken my hand on your thick skull!"

Touma's head was spinning from the blow and the lack of air, and Gaius' words sounded as if they had been spoken to him through a long tunnel. He struggled to sit up, but only managed to pull his arms up to either side of his head. They sat silently like that for a while, Touma still regaining his breath and Gaius staring down at him. Gaius picked up his wine sack that had been tossed nearby and began to drink heavily from it, sighing when it was dry.

Touma closed his eyes, trying desperately to ignore the pain in his head and fight off the effects of the drugs. _Just one hit… He'd probably kill me, but I don't care. I just want one good hit on him._ Still his body refused him and he dug his fingers into the grass in frustration. He shuddered when he felt warm fingers graze the skin of his back. He looked up to find Gaius leaning over him, the man's eyes shamelessly wandering back and forth along Touma's vulnerable figure.

"Stop it." Touma demanded through clenched teeth.

"You really are a beautiful man," Gaius mused, letting his hand drift along the length of Touma's spine. "I have to show you…" he frowned slightly. "I have to show you… this way, because I don't know any other way to do it…" his voice quieted to almost a whisper as he stretched out beside Touma and took his face in his hands, lifting it slightly off the ground. "I'll _make_ you understand…"

"No…" Touma said coarsely as Gaius leaned forward to press his lips hard against the younger man's. Touma pursed his tips tightly together and tried to pull back, but Gaius held fast.

"Don't fight me, Touma," he said, releasing one side of the younger man's face to push him up on his side so they were facing one another. Gaius slid against him, propping him up, and hooked his arm under Touma's head and around his neck, using the leverage to press harder against his mouth. He enticingly ran a hand down the younger man's back towards his seat, gripping hard onto a cheek when he passed below the waistline. Touma hissed in pain, and Gaius chuckled against his mouth. "You'll learn to like the pain…" he said, licking Touma's lips. "Why wont you let me in?" he asked guiltlessly, nibbling at the mouth that refused him passage. Touma only replied with a cold stare. Gaius smiled. "It's alright. I have other ways to convince you," he said, his lower hand creeping farther down to pull up the thin, wet towel Touma still had wrapped around his waist.

With a shudder, Touma desperately tried to buck away from him, but the man held firm. "Stop it Gaius!" he yelled, using his forehead to push away the man's face and his persisting mouth. He was tiring, and his instinct to fight back, strong as it was, was quickly fading with his strength. Between his panic and the pounding in his head, he felt as if he could pass out at any minute. He was about to give up when, without warning, Gaius' grip suddenly loosened and his head snapped away, staring back in the direction of the path.

Touma held his breath, waiting to see what it was that had caused him to stop. Eventually, the sounds of voices filtering through the woods met his ears and he glanced at Gaius. The man looked livid. Touma raised his eyes to the trees and saw what made him so angry. The torches were headed back toward them, along with the sounds of excited voices. He suddenly felt the body he was propped up against move away from him, and he fell back onto his stomach.

Gaius cursed blackly as he sat up and pulled Touma by his waist back down into the water until he was covered to just past his hips. "Pretend like your asleep," he growled softly at the younger man. He splashed the grass from his skin, grabbed his discarded wine skin then propped himself up against a rock at the waters edge, out of arms reach of Touma. As the group of attendants and guards entered the clearing Touma closed his eyes. He didn't understand why his friend had taken such pains to make it look as if nothing had happened between them. Why should he care what his servants think? But Touma wasn't going to complain. He certainly didn't want anyone seeing him in such a compromising position, especially one he was forced into.

"I thought I told you no interruptions!" Gaius snapped furiously at the attendants who approached. Touma opened his eyes just a crack to see what was going on. A man who had not accompanied them on the trip to the spring now stood next to the attendants. He stepped forward and spoke earnestly. "Tiberius is on his death bed. You are needed in Rome immediately."

Touma's heart dropped. The emperor was dying? He glanced quickly at Gaius. The man was gazing out over the water, an indecipherable look on his face. But Touma knew that Gaius was barely containing his delight. _You get your wish,_ he thought grimly.

Gaius nodded and stood, his attendants rushing to cover him with towels. "Then back to Rome it is," he said with a solemn appearance. Touma, knowing it was all an act, clenched his teeth in disgust.

As he was being dressed, one of the attendants bent over Touma to help him up, but Gaius stopped her. "Leave him," he said. "He's too drunk to take with us. He will only slow us down."

_Ahh, so that was it,_ Touma thought. _He wanted me to appear passed out from the wine so they wouldn't see that I was drugged._

Gaius took a towel from the attendant and walked over to where Touma lay, still appearing to be asleep. He knelt down beside him and said in a soft voice that only the two of them could hear, "You see? It was only a matter of time, Touma." He gently placed the towel over the younger man's torso, being careful not to let it fall in the water. "You should be grateful to me," he continued. "I could have let them see whatever they wanted when they came rushing back up here. You… helplessly pinned against me. The marks on your chest from my fingers… You know how servants love to talk. You might have been ruined from the gossip alone. But I chose to save you Touma. Don't forget that."

Touma bit back an angry retort and forced himself to remain silent as Gaius stood and headed back to where the guards waited with his horse. "But sir… what about wolves?" One of the guards protested. Gaius stopped and took a torch from him. He returned to Touma's side where he thrust the torch into the ground next to him.

"There. That should take care of it. The beasts wont come near the fire, and he will be awake by the time it burns out." With that the guards helped him mount, and they headed quickly back down the path toward the villa, leaving Touma's horse and his clothes near the tree line.

As soon as the torches were gone from sight, all of the rage and fear Touma had pent up inside came tearing out. He did the only thing his still mostly unresponsive form could do. He cried out angrily, slamming a half limp fist into the ground and clenching at the grass and earth. Turning his face into the grass he screamed his frustration until he felt his voice start to crack and his lungs strain for air. A stifled cry escaped from deep within his chest as he lay there, regaining his composure. After a while, his body finally began to respond a little to his wishes, and he curled up slowly into a fetal position, his legs and waist still submerged in the warm waters of the spring. But the heat from the torch and the towel covering his upper half did little to fend off the encroaching cold.

As his head throbbed violently with pain, he turned his eyes up to the stars, desperate for some comfort, but found he would be denied even those. Massive, rolling clouds drifted gently through the sky, blocking out all view of anything that lay beyond them. Without the stars to help light the clearing, the darkness seemed to thicken around him, only adding to his heightened sense of unease. As the torch crackled and hissed above him, he shivered and moved a little farther into the water. Left with no other choice, he closed his eyes and waited for his body to obey once again.

Continued in chapter 4

_This chapter ended up being a bit longer than I had intended. I wanted to be sure to squeeze all this into one chapter, with the end result that it got a tiny bit lengthy. Thanks again for encouraging reviews! More would be keen :D! And for the benefit of the lazy (such as myself) i've enabled anonymous reviews now. _

_Note - Cleaned up the previous chapters a bit. The site ate some of my formatting it would seem._


	7. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

His friends had taken their leave just after the sun had begun its climb into the morning sky. They had all agreed to make plans to spend a day together as a complete group once Touma had returned to the city. Now Seiji was alone and bored, left with nothing else to do but go over the numerous messages that had arrived for him while he was away. It was a monotonous task, since there were so many. He leafed through them idly, scanning each one for anything important. Finding none that looked as if they needed his immediate attention, he set the letters down and rubbed his eyes. He had no idea what time it was, but he suspected it was almost time for the mid-day meal.

Rising from his stool, he walked out of the side room he had been peacefully reading in and stepped into the courtyard. He stretched and headed into the atrium, stifling a yawn. The temperature had dropped dramatically over night, and he was surprised to see a puff of his breath in the air. As he entered the front hall he noticed some of the servants crowded in the hallway leading out to the street, chatting low amongst each other. Something was obviously happening outside. He walked over to them, frowning slightly.

"What's going on?" he asked, growing more concerned when he was met with worried eyes.

"It's the emperor, sir," one of the elder servants said quietly.

Seiji's eyes widened and he rushed past them out into the small garden that separated their main door from the street. Beyond the front gate, standing just outside, he saw his father talking with some men. He hurried up to them. "Father…" he said as he reached the group. "What is it?"

His father glanced at him with troubled eyes.

"The emperor?" he asked.

The older man nodded. "Word is spreading that he is near death, if not passed already. Gaius Augustus returned to Rome early this morning. It's being said he will be named the new emperor."

Seiji nodded and his father turned back to the other men. He swallowed, looking around him. All along the street, numerous people were mulling about, talking to one another in hushed tones. It was no secret that the people of Rome had grown to loath their current emperor, Tiberius, who had become nothing more than a reclusive tyrant in the past few years; raising taxes, conduction erroneous treason trials, and sending numerous families with whom he was displeased into exile. He had shut himself away in his villa at Capri, preferring to let the senate run the empire on their own. And since the senate wasn't used to acting without the emperor, the quality of government and subsequently the daily lives of Rome's citizens had deteriorated significantly. Recently, he had become increasingly paranoid, and there were rumors that he had gone completely mad. It was even alleged that he had begun indulging in all manner of questionable diversions with young boys who, once they had entered his secluded villa, were never heard from again.

But, while no one doubted Rome would be better off under a new ruler, the death of an emperor meant the peace of the entire empire was at risk until a successor was named. Insurrections, an over throwing of the government, attacks from enemy countries, and riots were all possibilities if the senate did not act quickly to install a new emperor in time to quell any uprising. It was an extremely dangerous time for everyone.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, letting the gravity of the situation settle in his mind. _So they are going to make that monster emperor after all…_he thought grimly. Suddenly, the sound of a man yelling caught his ear. He glanced up in time to see a rider on horseback rush by, calling out "Tiberius is dead! The emperor has passed! Our new emperor will appear shortly in the Forum!" The man continued to call out the same thing as he hurried down the street and disappeared around a corner. Several people cried out excitedly, rushing back into their houses with the news.

But Seiji could find nothing good about the situation. In his mind, they were simply replacing one tyrant with another. He hurried back into his house, past the servants who were still mulling about and headed into the courtyard. He was making his way back to the side room along the courtyard to finish his reading and escape the commotion in the streets when a thought suddenly occurred to him. He stopped and turned back to the front of the house. If Gaius was back in Rome, that meant Touma would be as well. He detoured to his room, hastily put on his cloak and a pair of boots and headed back out into the street.

His father caught his arm. "Where are you going?" The older man asked.

"I want to see if Touma returned. He was in Tibur vacationing with Gaius. If Gaius is back, Touma must be as well."

"You should wait Seiji. Everyone's headed to the Forum and the streets are too crowded to ride."

Seiji looked around, noticing the masses of people flooding out from their homes and heading towards the center of the city. He nodded at his father. "I'll be fine. I can walk, and I'll take the side streets and alleyways."

His father sighed. "Suit yourself. Just be careful."

Seiji nodded. The streets of Rome were so narrow and winding that even a small crowd would cause extreme congestion, and one could easily find themselves caught in a mass that was too large to move through at all. But he wisely decided to stick to the alleyways and side roads that proved to be only slightly less congested than the main thoroughfares. Slowly, he made his way up the narrow streets to Touma's house. As he was about the break onto the main avenue his friend's home sat along, he heard a massive cheer arise from the center of the city. _The new successor must have appeared,_ he thought. He didn't need to see the scene to know what was going on. As the cheering continued, he imagined an elaborately dressed man standing on a large balcony above the Forum. It over looked the largest square in the city, where literally thousands of people could gather to listen. He knew, without a doubt, that the man addressing the cheering crowds at that moment was Gaius.

He narrowed his eyes in disgust and continued on against the thinning crowd until he arrived at the gate to Touma's house. He called out to the door attendant who would be sitting in a small room just along the hallway. A young man poked his head out and hurried to the gate, opening it for him.

"Has Touma returned yet?" he asked the boy as he walked inside. The attendant shook his head as Seiji heard a voice from the hallway above say, "Not yet I'm afraid."

Seiji looked up to find Touma's father at the top of the stairs. "No word from him either?" he asked.

The older man shook his head and walked down to him, waving off the attendant. "None. I don't know if he returned this morning with Gaius and accompanied him to the Forum or if he decided to stay in Tibur a bit longer. All we can do is wait for his return."

Seiji nodded and looked away in frustration. "Alright," he said resignedly, then looked back at the man. "Would you let me know the moment he returns? I need to speak with him as soon as I can. I'll come in the middle of the night if I have to. Just find some way to let me know that he's back."

The older man raised an eyebrow at him. "It's that important to you, is it?"

"Yes. It is," Seiji nodded resolutely.

Touma's father nodded. "I'll send word once he arrives."

Seiji nodded and thanked the man. Willing himself to be content with that for the time being, he bowed and excused himself. As he stepped back out into the street and set out towards his home, he noticed storm clouds forming around the mountains that lay to the east of the city. Off in the distance, he could still hear the crowds in the center of the city, cheering for their soon-to-be emperor.

* * *

Touma stared at the mountains to the west. They stood between him and Rome, and dark clouds were gathering around their peaks. He didn't know if it was cold enough yet for snow, but he had stopped at a shop before he had left Tibur to buy an extra cloak should he need it on the trip home. He had also purchased some linen, from which he tore a strip to wrap around his head, attempting to cover the ugly bruise that was spreading across his temple. His head was pounding painfully, and all he wanted was to curl up in a warm bed and sleep. He had returned to the villa that morning just as dawn's edges began creeping into the sky. The servants there had tried to convince him to stay awhile longer, thinking it was only a hangover that ailed him. But Touma had ignored their requests and insisted on returning home immediately. 

Now he was doubting his decision, thinking perhaps it would have been better to get a room at an inn until he was feeling better. He glanced behind him to find the resort town already lost from sight behind the hills. It was too late to turn back. He just hoped that the weather would hold and that the pain in his head wouldn't grow any worse. He kept his head lowered and his hood pulled up as he rode, not wanting to be bothered by anyone who might recognize him. He saw very few other travelers as the hours wore on, and those he did pass neither recognized him nor made an effort to greet him. He passed only a few guard patrols and a couple of messengers that raced by, no doubt carrying news of the emperor's demise.

A few hours passed before he found himself at the foothills leading into the mountains. He had made good time, and was hoping to reach the city before nightfall, but he could feel the temperature steadily dropping as the road wound higher into the mountains. He looked up at the dark clouds above him. They threatened to begin dropping their contents at any moment, and it prompted him to hurry his horse even more. The mountain passes were dangerous enough during good weather. It wasn't long before the first flakes began to fall, and within a few minutes, the snow was falling in earnest. He pushed the hood of his cloak back, letting the cold snow ease his sore temple. The only sounds that accompanied him were the soft hiss of the snow as it began to cover the world in white, and his horse's hooves on the road.

As he rounded a bend deep in the pass, a new noise caught his ears. It was the sound of men's voices. _Probably another patrol_, he thought to himself. The mountain passes could be treacherous not only for their terrain, but also for the bands of thieves that roamed the wooded slopes. Cover was easy to come by along these roads, making it easy to ambush unsuspecting travelers. It was the reason why there were often extra guards that patrolled the passes. But it had been hours since Touma had seen the last patrol, and he figured the deteriorating weather had something to do with that.

A small curve in the road and some trees blocked his view of the path ahead, but as he came closer he slowed his horse. The voices sounded anything but friendly. He heard shouting and laughing, and mixed in was the sound of someone crying out in pain. He dismounted and crept forward along the road just enough to be able to peer around the trees and see what was going on. A large wagon loaded with oil jars and bushels of tall grass was stopped in the middle of the road. Just behind it stood two large, dirty and disheveled men standing over a young boy. The two men kicked at the boy mercilessly, laughing as they did so. A third man, equally as menacing and probably their leader, stood on the front of the wagon, brandishing a sword at an old man who was pleading with them to leave the boy alone. Except for a worn bow and a quiver of arrows on one of the other men, the leader looked to be the only one armed.

Touma sighed. _I just want to get home_, he thought dourly as he assessed the situation. But he certainly couldn't just leave these men to do as they pleased. _Besides_, he thought. _They're blocking the road. Its not like I could just go around if I chose to._ His temple was throbbing painfully, but he ignored it and quickly went to work.

"Never a guard around when you need one," he grumbled quietly, turning back to his horse. He patted her neck gently as he pulled the saddle to one side. He had to make it look like she had lost her rider. Luckily his father had insisted all his horses be trained to stop, regardless of the rider's wishes, at the sound of a deep but sharp whistle. That way the horse was difficult to steal, and easy to reclaim if it was stolen. He stepped back and looked around the dense foliage, searching for anything he could use as a weapon, but found nothing. He exhaled slowly. He would just have to use his fists.

He stepped to the back of the horse and gave a solid smack to her backside, spooking her and sending her off at a canter down the road towards the wagon. He stepped into the underbrush along the roadside and headed in the same direction, staying low and out of sight.

The two men on the ground were in the process of picking up the boy to begin a new round of beatings as the gray mare went running past them. All three of the thieves paused for a moment, watching the horse run by. They looked at each other, then turned to look down the road in the direction the horse had come from. From his spot in the bushes Touma could see them tensing, waiting for someone to come chasing after the horse. But when no one appeared, they began laughing again, this time at their good luck. "Well, go get it!" one of the men on the ground called up to the one on the wagon. "Watch this one," the leader instructed as he jumped down, tossed his sword to them and took off after the horse. The smaller of the two men on the ground climbed up on the wagon and pointed the blade at the old man.

The thief still on the ground leaned over and grabbed the boy by his hair. "Such a pathetic little thing. We should have some fun with you before we get rid of you two," he jeered, exposing rotted teeth. The other man chuckled deviously and nodded. He opened his mouth to add to the taunts, but stopped short, the smile disappearing from his face as he stared past his comrade. Noticing his friend's look, the man holding the boy tensed suddenly and turned, ready to defend himself, but he was too late. Before he was even half way around, Touma's ankle connected squarely against his cheek, sending the man reeling to the ground, out cold. His companion on the wagon snarled furiously at Touma and jumped down, wildly swinging his blade as he rushed forward. Touma easily dodged the man's clumsy attacks, and the moment he saw an opening he let loose a hand full of dirt at the man's eyes. The blinded thief shrieked and pulled back, but Touma caught his wrists with both hands. With as much force as he could muster, Touma yanked the man's arms down and brought his knee up, smashing it squarely into the thief's chin. The man's head snapped back, his mouth gaping wide. Pieces of broken teeth, shattered from the impact, fell to the ground followed by their unconscious owner.

Touma quickly turned in the direction his horse had gone and let out a loud, sharp whistle, knowing that it would stop the mare so that the other man could catch her and return to his friends. He turned back to the boy staring in astonishment nearby. "Something to tie them with!" he demanded. The boy immediately snapped out of his daze and jumped into the wagon. He rummaged around for just a moment, then tossed a large coil of rope to the ground. Touma glanced back down the road as he pulled both men behind the wagon and quickly bound their hands. "Tie them to the wagon," he told the boy, who nodded and hastily did as he was told. Touma bent over and picked up the bow that the first thief had dropped. It was a standard military bow, and the arrows scattered about the ground looked as if they had been used and retrieved a few times. _Probably military defectors_, he thought, glaring down at the men now securely tied to the back of the wagon, still unconscious. He ripped a dirty cape off one of them and handed their sword to the boy.

"If they wake up, use this to make sure they stay quiet," he instructed. "And stay low and out of sight." The boy was pale and obviously shaken up, but he bravely nodded and took the sword, then ducked behind the wagon. Touma wrapped the filthy cape around his shoulders and pulled up the hood, hiding his face. With the bow and 3 arrows in hand, he climbed up onto the front of the wagon and moved close to the old man. "Turn around and act as if they were still beating the boy back there," he instructed. The old man turned and leaned towards the back of the wagon as Touma loomed over him. He turned to glance down the road just in time to see the last thief approaching on the mare, a look of triumph on his face.

"This is our lucky day!" the man called out as he rode toward them. "This beast is worth a small fortune. Her owner must have been a fool to let her throw him. He's probably laying on the side of the road somewhere with his skull split open."

Touma smiled under his disguise as the man came within a few yards. Shrugging the dirty cape off and revealing himself, he turned toward the thief. "She is a fine animal. But I assure you her owner is no fool." He leveled a notched arrow at the man. "Now get off my horse."

The thief paled in shock at finding himself on the sharp end of an arrow. He paused for only a moment, blinking away his confusion. Then, gritting his teeth in anger, he spun the horse around and took off in the opposite direction. Touma sighed and let forth another whistle, stopping the horse dead in her tracks. He would have to thank his father again for that little trick. Furious now, and worked into a panicked frenzy, the man wildly beat at the animal, trying to get her to move again. When she refused, he jumped off and made for the safety of the trees, but Touma didn't let him get that far. Now that the man was a safe distance from his horse, he let the arrow fly. Regardless of the bow's quality, Touma's arrow met its mark, lodging itself solidly in the man's shoulder. The thief shrieked in pain, but kept going. He was almost to the tree line as another arrow sunk into his thigh, causing him to stumble and fall.

Touma jumped from the wagon and leveled his last arrow as he approached the writhing man. To his surprise the boy came running up next to him, holding the rope bravely in his hands. Thankfully, the thief offered no resistance as he was bound and lead limping back to the wagon. As they walked, the boy peered up at his rescuer, and Touma returned his gaze with a smile. "You alright? They hit you pretty hard."

The boy nodded vigorously. "I'm fine. But sir, that blue cape…" He motioned to the inside of Touma's cloak. "Are you…" but he was cut off by the old man as they approached the wagon.

"Thank you so much young man!" the old man exclaimed. "If you hadn't come along they would have killed us for sure."

Touma smiled weakly up at the man who was still seated in the wagon. "It's all right. I…" He stopped short as a sudden stabbing pain tore through his head. In all the excitement, he had completely forgotten about his injury. Now the pain was even worse from all his exertion, and he felt nauseous and dizzy.

"What should we do with them?" he heard someone ask, but the throbbing was so intense that it took him a moment to understand the question.

He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the sting to subside and his mind to clear. "We can't leave them here. We'll put them in the wagon and give them to the first patrol we come across," he said.

With the help of the boy, Touma managed to get all of the thieves loaded into the wagon. He leaned unsteadily against his horse as the boy finished binding the men's feet to prevent any escape. But now he was at his limit. He was having trouble focusing his eyes and the pain in his head had become excruciating. He heard the boy ask him something, but then his body went numb and his legs gave out beneath him. The world turned white then black as he fell unconscious into the snow.

* * *

It was mid morning when a servant woke Seiji to inform him a messenger from Touma's father had arrived for him. He dressed quickly and walked to the front of the house. The messenger informed him that Touma had arrived home late the previous night, and that Touma's father wanted to speak with him in person. Seiji was aggravated by the fact that the message hadn't been sent until the morning, but he brushed it aside quickly and headed out towards his friend's home. 

When he arrived, he was lead to a side room just off the courtyard. Seiji paused for a moment to glance up at the door to Touma's room, but it was closed, a servant standing nearby. Touma's father was waiting for him in the small room and greeted Seiji as he walked through the door. The older man appeared strangely subdued, and when asked to sit, Seiji became worried.

"Is he alright?" he asked anxiously.

Touma's father nodded. "He's fine. He's still sleeping at the moment. I know you asked me to let you know the moment he arrived, but it was late, and there was quiet a commotion when he arrived. I thought it would be best if things quieted down a bit before you came."

"What happened?"

The older man sighed. "It seems my son was returning on his own from Tibur, and came across a merchant and his grandson being robbed while passing through the mountains. Thankfully he was able to stop the thieves and restrain them for the highway guards. An officer that accompanied the merchant told me that particular group has been terrorizing the passes for months now. Touma is being hailed as a hero." He paused to drink from a nearby cup. "But he lost consciousness shortly after the fight, and had to be brought back to us in the merchant's wagon. Our doctor looked at him and found a severe bruise on one side of his head. The boy thought perhaps he had been struck during the fight, but said that he never saw the robbers land a single blow. Touma said he probably hit his head when he fell unconscious, but the bruise had been covered with a strip of linen, and the merchant said that Touma was already wearing it when he came to their aid. He was hiding the bruise before the fight, so it must have occurred before hand."

Seiji frowned a bit. _So he didn't return with Gaius. And he was injured either in Tibur or on his way home_, he thought. _Why would Touma lie about that?_

Touma's father looked at him apprehensively and said, "I haven't seen it for myself… but the doctor told me the bruise has marks that looked like the imprints of rings."

"Rings?"

The older man nodded. "Large, expensive rings. The kind nobles wear. Someone must have struck him. And whoever did was wearing a small fortune on their hand."

Seiji's eyes narrowed and he seethed with anger. Touma's father didn't need to say anymore. The implication was clear. He sat quietly for a moment, trying to calm himself. He tightened and released his grip a couple times before exhaling softly. "Can I see him?"

"He awoke shortly before day break and was acting very withdrawn. He said that he didn't want any visitors. He may refuse even you."

Seiji gazed out into the courtyard. He knew that if Touma were really traumatized, he would withdraw completely and try to deal with it on his own. He wasn't the type to ask for support from anyone. He was too damn proud. Seiji had dealt with Touma when he was like this before, and knew that just getting to him to offer help would be a challenge. If Touma wanted to be left alone, he could make it quite hard for anyone to get near him. Seiji couldn't very well just go charging up the stairs of someone else's house when their son refused to see him. And there was also the matter of the argument that they'd had before Touma had left for Tibur. Things between them were still awkward, and that would only encourage Touma to avoid him.

The older man seemed to sense what Seiji was thinking. "Two days," he said.

Seiji looked up at him. "I'm sorry?"

"I will give him two days. If he is still refusing to see you by tomorrow evening, you have my permission to go up to him, whether he wants you to or not."

Seiji gaped at him, then his expression softened a little. "Thank you sir."

Touma's father stood. "Just do what you can for him. Your probably the only one who can get through to him when he's like this." He headed to the door. "I will have a servant wake him for the midday meal shortly. I'll tell him you're here to see him then."

Seiji nodded and thanked him, and was left alone in the small room. He sighed deeply, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. _Lousy timing,_ he thought sourly. Now he didn't know how long he would have to wait to settle his feelings with Touma. _Why does it always end up this way? Something always stops us from just being honest with each other._

True to his word, Touma's father returned to Seiji just before the meal. Touma had adamantly refused to see Seiji and had told his father to send him away. The older man apologized and asked him to return again later that evening to try again. But when Seiji returned just before nightfall, he was turned away for a second time. Frustrated by his friend's stubbornness, he headed home, with a promise to Touma's father to return again the next day. The next morning, when Touma predictably refused the company again, his father descended the stairs and approached Seiji with a subtle smirk on his face.

"He's becoming annoyed now," he said with a hint of mirth.

Seiji chuckled. He knew Touma's father enjoyed pestering his son every once in awhile. But Touma's annoyance was also a good sign. It meant he was beginning to snap out of his lethargic state. Left with nothing else to do, Seiji roamed the city for a while until the sun began to sink into the western sky. By the time he returned to his friend's home, it was almost dark. Asked to give Touma one last chance before they went against his wishes, Seiji waited in the dimly lit atrium until the older man returned with Touma's answer. Still being as stubborn as ever, Touma had refused to see him.

Seiji shook his head in aggravation but Touma's father quickly raised a hand to calm him. "Go ahead. There's no telling how long he will stay like this if he's left alone. Just make sure he doesn't get up. He needs to stay in bed until he's had more time to heal." The man handed him a small oil lamp to light his way up the stairs.

Taking the lamp, Seiji nodded resolutely and made his way up towards Touma's room. He paused just outside the door and squared his shoulders, preparing himself for a battle of willpowers. He was determined not to back down until everything was settled between them. He took a deep breath, opened the door and walked inside.

The room was completely dark except for the flame of a small oil lamp hanging from a stand off in a corner. In the faint light Seiji could make out a brazier in the middle of the room, but the coals in it were dim and it was hardly providing any heat to the room. The doors to the balcony were ajar to let out some of the smoke from the lamps and heater, and as he turned to the bed at the far side of the room, he could see that the window over the bed was open as well. He shivered. With all the windows open and the brazier so low on fuel, the cold air outside had filled the room. But Touma enjoyed the cold, so it didn't surprise him.

He expected to be yelled at any moment as he approached the bed. But he heard nothing except the sound of his own footsteps. As the light from his small lamp washed over the bed, Seiji looked down to find Touma laying on his back, eyes closed and fast asleep. _His father was just in here!_ _How could he fall back asleep so quickly?_ Seiji shook his head. His friend enjoyed sleeping more than any other person he knew, and it would take quite a bit of effort to wake him now, judging from the deepness of his breaths. And Seiji didn't have the heart to wake him. Especially when he was injured.

He frowned slightly and leaned over, bringing the lamp close to Touma's forehead. There, covering his right temple was the angry purple and red hues of the large bruise. He peered at it, trying to find the marks he had been told about, but the light was too dim. He would have to wait for daylight to get a better look. As he pulled away, something else caught his eye and he paused. The light blanket covering Touma had been pulled down slightly, exposing part of his chest. Seiji leaned forward again and brought the light close.

There were lines on Touma's skin. Seiji gently pulled the blanket back just enough to get a better look, and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he realized what he was looking at. They were scratch marks, wounds left from someone tearing their nails along his skin. Seiji narrowed his eyes angrily and pulled the blanket back just enough to see how far down they went. From what he could see, they ran the entire length of Touma's chest. Steadying his shaking hands, Seiji pulled the cover back over his friend's sleeping form. _What happened to you Touma?_ he wondered silently, now more troubled than ever.

He set the lamp down on a nearby table and walked over to the brazier. He didn't want to freeze while he waited. He placed a few new coals on top of the old ones, blowing gently to spread the fire. Once he was satisfied with that he took a small chair from a corner and placed it next to the bed. He sat and folded his arms in determination. He would be right here when Touma woke up. Then they would settle everything, and Seiji could find out the story behind his friend's injuries. All he could do now was wait.

* * *

It was hot. He heard the clinking of oil jars and the rattle of the wagon, and could smell the bundles of fresh grass he was laying on top of. He opened his eyes to find that boy above him again. He was back in the wagon. _Must be dreaming, _he thought detachedly. 

"Ah! You're awake! Grandpa, he's awake!" the boy called up to the old man before looking back down at him. "Don't worry, we asked a guard to lead us to your house. I knew it was you! You're famous! I…"

"Let him sleep child," the old man admonished the boy gruffly. The boy looked a bit disappointed but nodded and quieted.

Touma tried to force him a smile, but the pain was still too much to bear, and his eyes fluttered and closed. When he opened them again, the flashback was gone and his dream had changed. He was now in his room, lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He was still hot, and his head still hurt. _Why is it so hot?_ he wondered.

He turned to look out over the room, his vision swimming. He could make out the glow of bright coals in the brazier. _That's why. Who put those there?_ A blur of something light colored lying on the bed near his waist caught his eye. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. When the image finally came into focus, he froze, his eyes wide.

"Seiji…" he murmured. His friend was resting his head peacefully on the edge of the bed, his crossed arms serving as a cushion. His eyes were closed and Touma could hear his gentle breathing. He smiled sadly. _Now even my dreams are mocking me,_ he thought. He reached out and gently ran his fingers through his friend's blond hair. It was just as soft as he had imagined it would be. "At least here I don't have to worry about upsetting you," he said quietly.

Suddenly the sleeping figure began to wake, and as Seiji's eyes opened slowly, the fog in Touma's head finally began to clear. When his friend glanced up toward the hand in his hair, Touma frowned. _Wait…This isn't…_he thought, slowly pulling back his hand.

Seiji blinked sleepily and sat up. "Your awake finally."

_This isn't a dream! _thought a horrified Touma, feeling the color drain from his face.

Apparently unfazed, Seiji leaned forward and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Wha… What are you doing in here?" Touma blurted.

"I was sleeping. Now I'm asking you how you're feeling," Seiji replied evenly.

Touma glared angrily. "I said I didn't want to see you! How did you get in here?"

"Your father let me come up here. We were worried about you," he replied in the same even tone.

Touma was irate now. "I'm fine! Now get out."

"No."

Touma sat up, his voice growing louder. "I said get…" Suddenly the world pitched violently to the side and he felt the bed fall out from underneath him, hurling him forward.

"Touma!" he heard Seiji call out, and then two strong hands grabbed his shoulders. He blinked and looked up. He was still in his bed, with the world still firmly rooted beneath it. Seiji was standing in front of him, holding him steady, the stool he had been sitting on now upset on the floor. Touma's head spun, and the world threatened to upend itself again. He felt Seiji ease him back down onto the bed.

"Calm down Touma. Your still badly injured," his friend said in a firm tone.

Touma resigned to laying back down, but turned his face away. "Please, just leave me alone."

"I want to know what happened."

"Nothing happened."

"Then how did you get that bruise on your temple?" Seiji asked.

"I probably hit it on a rock when I passed out on the road," Touma replied, sticking to the story he had told the doctor and his father.

"I doubt that. Unless the rock was wearing a noble's rings, and the bushes you fell into left those marks on your chest."

Touma cringed and stared up at him defensively. "How did you know about those?" he asked.

"Your blanket was pulled down while you were sleeping."

Touma looked stricken and turned away again. "Get out," he demanded through clenched teeth. He didn't want to talk about this, especially not with Seiji. He still felt humiliated by the whole ordeal.

"I wont," came the calm reply from above.

Touma fisted his blankets and glared up at his friend. "Just get ou--!" he yelled angrily, but was cut off as two hands slammed down palms first onto the bed, one on either side of his head.

"I wont!" Seiji snapped back, his face hanging just above Touma's. He looked furious, but he also looked hurt. "Not until you tell me what happened!" Touma felt Seiji's hands fist up on either side of his head. "And so help me Touma, you yell at me again and I'll add to your injuries." Seiji straightened himself and turned toward the upset stool. "Stop running away," he said softly, almost pleadingly. Seiji bent and picked up the chair, setting it upright on its legs. He turned and sat back down facing the bed, arms crossed and eyes closed, waiting.

Touma realized he had sunk deeper into his bed trying to shy away from Seiji's outburst. He had never seen his friend loose his composure like that before, and it had thoroughly unnerved him. He lay there, staring up at the ceiling again, knowing he wasn't going to win this fight. Something had changed in his friend. Touma glanced over at the unmoving figure and sighed softly. He had already lost this battle a long time ago.

"Can you help me sit up?" he asked quietly.

Seiji opened his eyes and looked up, all hints of anger gone from his face. He nodded and sat on the side of the bed, easing Touma into a sitting position, and holding him steady until his head stopped spinning.

_No more secrets,_ Touma thought, releasing a shaky breath. "I'm going to start at the beginning and tell you everything." It was time to be honest, even if it meant risking everything. After all they had been through, he owed his best friend at least that much.

He started with his meeting with Gaius the night before Seiji had returned home, and worked his way forward, hesitating only a couple of times when he became lightheaded and paused to catch his breath. Seiji reached out to him but Touma held up his hand, wanting to do this on his own. He recounted his conversation with Gaius, and why he had reacted the way he had to the man's inquiry about his friend. "It's not that I wanted to keep others away from you. It was just _him_ that I wanted to keep away. I've seen what he's done to people. I couldn't stand to see that happen to you too. I knew you wouldn't have anything to do with him anyways, but I didn't want him even thinking he had a chance, so I lied." He continued on to the next night when Seiji had arrived home, explaining that he hadn't actually meant to tell him about his conversation with Gaius, but when it had slipped out, he couldn't bring himself to lie to his best friend. "But I panicked at your reaction. You were mad, so I ran away." He put his head in a hand. "That was the worst thing I could have done."

For his part, Seiji stayed quiet the entire time, allowing Touma to tell his story at his own pace. He sat calmly on the side of the bed, his eyes never leaving his friend's face. Touma found it slightly intimidating, and kept his eyes turned down to his lap as he continued. He paused again before he began his account of the events in Tibur, but only for the briefest of moments. He had to remind himself he had decided to be completely honest and open with his best friend, and that meant telling him everything. He began to curl in on himself a bit when he came to the events that had occurred at the spring, but he felt Seiji discreetly move a little closer, and it comforted him enough to continue on.

He told of his trip home and the fight that had ensued on the road, and about how he didn't remember any more of the trip except for waking up that one time in the wagon. He didn't even remember being carried up to his bed by the servants. "When my father told me you were here to see me, I panicked again. I didn't want to face you after the way I'd left the other night, and also because I knew you'd demand to know what happened in Tibur. I knew you'd be smart enough to figure out I was lying about the bruise. I just… I didn't want anyone to know. Especially not you." His voice dropped to barley a whisper at the last part, and his expression turned slightly pained. Then he smiled almost sadly. "But you just wouldn't give up, would you? You never let me have my way when I get like this." He sighed deeply. "So that's all of it."

Seiji remained silent and turned to study the dying coals in the brazier. Touma's heart sunk at the silence, but he calmed himself quickly. _You did all you could by being honest,_ he told himself. _I have to give him time. He's probably still angry with me…_

"I would kill him…" came a soft reply, stirring Touma from his thoughts. He looked up. Seiji was still staring at the brazier, his expression mostly vacant, except for his eyes. They were smoldering.

"Seiji…?" Touma asked cautiously.

His friend exhaled sharply and turned back to Touma, but his eyes remained turned down. He shook his head and spoke through a tense jaw, "I would kill him… if it didn't mean I'd never see you again."

Touma stared dumbly at him. _What does he mean by that?_ But he spoke up quickly. "Stay out of it Seiji. I'm not going to let you get involved."

"Not going to let me?" Seiji's gaze snapped up and he raised his eyebrows incredulously. "Touma, I'm closer to you than anyone! What am I supposed to do? Just tell you that I'm sorry for your misfortune and let it go at that?"

"I can handle this on my own…"

"Damn it Touma!" Seiji snapped and turned away angrily.

Touma flinched. He had done it again, tried to push his friend away. They sat in silence for a few awkward seconds before Touma heard Seiji snort as he turned back toward him.

"You never let me help you," his friend said softly, but there was no anger in his voice. Touma looked up as Seiji reached to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. He gazed at Touma with sad eyes, but there was a trace of a smile on his lips. "Even after all this," he continued, "you're still too proud to let me bear some of it for you." He smiled and shook his head. His grip moved to the back of Touma's neck as he pulled his head forward and leaned in to rest their foreheads together.

The gesture was a friendly one, and Touma closed his eyes as he felt the gentle support of his friend.

"So damn proud…" Seiji muttered with a hint of exasperated amusement.

"My pride is all I have," Touma replied softly.

"No, it's not," came a firm response, and Touma felt Seiji's hand tense on his neck. "You have me too."

He felt Seiji pull back just a bit. The hand at his neck slid up into the hair just behind his ear, and a gentle thumb reached down to lightly brush the back of his jaw line. Touma glanced up apprehensively as his friend leaned down, bringing their faces so close he could feel Seiji's gentle breath on his lips.

"Let me help you," came the soft plea as Seiji closed the short distance between them, brushing their lips together in the faintest of kisses.

_What!_? Touma's eyes went wide and the world spun again.

* * *

Seiji felt his friend tense beneath his touch and suddenly his sensibility came rushing back. Glancing up at Touma, he found his friend's eyes wide with shock. Seiji pulled back suddenly, a sense of dismay sweeping through him. _What are you doing?_ he angrily berated himself. _This is only going to complicate things right now!_

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, turning his eyes away. "I didn't mean to…" He hesitated and glanced up at Touma. His friend's face was turned down, his eyes hidden behind his bangs. Seiji cringed remorsefully and ran a hand through his hair. _Too late now_, he thought. "I didn't mean to surprise you. I just don't want you to push me away anymore. I'm tired of chasing after you. I just wanted to show you… that I want..." He trailed off for a second, realizing that now he was just babbling in a panicked attempt to avoid an awkward silence. He stared down at his hands fisted in his lap. "You were hurt, and I can't help thinking it's somehow my fault. I should have stopped you from leaving that night. I should have found some way… held you against the wall and _made_ you listen. If only I'd understood my own feelings sooner, maybe I could have…"

The words suddenly froze in his throat as he felt fingers touch his chin and slide up his cheeks. He looked up to find Touma holding his face in trembling hands.

Touma's eyes were still hidden from view under his bangs as he opened his mouth. "Again," he said softly.

Momentarily speechless, Seiji sucked in a sharp breath. "Touma…" he finally breathed.

Touma leaned forward, his voice now barely a whisper. "Again… _please_," he pleaded.

The desperation and urgency in those two words sent a shiver coursing through Seiji, and in an instant, his self-control shattered. He reached up, sliding a hand into the hair at Touma's nape and, without a moment's hesitation, leaned forward, seizing Touma's mouth with his own. He felt his friend shudder against him as they pulled each other close, both feeling the need to eliminate every inch of open space between them. The kiss was desperate, crushing, almost suffocating at first, both of them dismissing their restraint in order to express their need to the other. Together they poured out years of frustration and longing into the kiss, neither one realizing until then that they had so much pent up after all that time. Somewhat out of breath, they eventually slowed, content with simply holding and savoring each other for a while.

With a shiver, Touma pulled away and leaned down to rest his forehead on Seiji's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Seiji asked, alarmed.

"I'm fine," came the soft reply. "Just a bit light headed."

Seiji smiled and ran his fingers gently through Touma's hair, pausing when he felt the hand on his chest fist into his clothing. "What is it?"

"How long?" Touma asked. "How long have you felt… like this?"

"I'm not sure. Probably a while now. But I didn't realize it until the day you left for Tibur. Watching that little parade made me mad and got me thinking."

They both chuckled a bit at this. Seiji tightened his hold a bit. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Touma didn't say anything for a while, then replied "I didn't want to risk scaring you away. I thought that… if I could at least stay next to you as your friend, then that was enough for me."

Seiji's heart ached for his friend. He leaned his head forward to put his lips close to Touma's ear and said gently, "I could never reject you."

"I know. I understand that now." Touma raised his head to look at Seiji. "I'm sorry for doubting you, and for making you chase me." He smiled a bit. "Even though all that chasing was really good for my ego," he added teasingly.

"I see." Seiji grinned. "All this time you've been boosting your ego at my expense. Some friend you are." They both laughed.

Seiji took hold of his shoulders and pushed him back down into the bed. "Still plenty of time for you to get some sleep before the sun comes up. Rest now."

Touma looked up at him and nodded. "Hey," he said, catching Seiji's arm before he could pull away. "Sleep next to me."

Seiji blinked in surprise and then nodded. He smiled as he began shedding his heavier outer garments. "Sure you don't want me to throw a few extra coals in the brazier?" he asked playfully.

Touma narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm guessing you're the one who made it so hot in here earlier?"

"I wasn't going to freeze while I waited for you," he said indignantly, sitting on the side of the bed and removing his sandals. "Fine, I wont add any coals. But that means you have to keep me warm."

Touma chuckled as Seiji, still clothed in his tunic, laid down next to him, staying above the covers and pulling his extra clothes over him for warmth. Noticing Touma's bemused stare, he explained, "Wouldn't want your father coming in in the morning to find you naked under the covers with me."

Touma looked down at his covered form as if remembering that he had no clothes on beneath the blanket. "Yeah," he agreed. "He probably wouldn't care though." He stifled a yawn.

"Sleep now," Seiji encouraged, and Touma nodded, closing his eyes. Eventually, his breathing slowed and his body relaxed, settling further into the mattress. Seiji laid quietly next to him, watching him sleep. After a few minutes, just as he was beginning to drift off himself, the sound of voices drifted in through the window from the avenue below and caught his ear. A couple of passersby were drunkenly singing the praises of Rome's soon-to-be new emperor as they wandered the streets.

Seiji closed his eyes with a weary sigh.

"You know they're going to make him emperor…" he heard Touma say quietly.

He started a little, thinking his friend was already asleep. He reached up, hooking a hand around Touma's shoulder and pulling him closer. "Try not to think about it. We can deal with it later. Just sleep for now."

He smiled when Touma moved a bit to settle against him.

"Thank you. For everything," his friend said softly.

Seiji replied with a gentle kiss to his shoulder, and then they both closed their eyes, giving in to the lure of sleep.

Continued in Chapter 5

_A/N: Oi! Two and a half months in between chapters? That's just mean! Sorry it's been so long. I was just finishing up the final part of this chapter when the last review came in. Didn't realize it had been so long until I looked at the date on my last update. I ended up getting sucked back into WoW, the fall semester started, and I got hooked on a really REALLY long fic. Like, **really** long. I ended up reading more than I was writing! But I promise to try to not take so much time in between chapters from now on. _

_And thank you SO MUCH again for the kind reviews! One of the best things about writing is knowing people enjoy my work as much as I do. As always, more reviews are welcomed and greatly encouraged!_


	8. Chapter 5

_Note: This is the **censored** version of this chapter. The original, uncensored version can be found at adultfanfiction .net, under the same category and series name. This chapter is meant for those who enjoy a bit of naughtiness in their reading. At first I wasn't even going to include it in the censored version, but there did end up being some plot development in it, so I decided to throw it in after all. But like I said! Naughtiness! With pretty boys! If this surprises you, then you didn't read the damn preface. You've been warned! _

_I received some pm's stating that people were having problems leaving reviews, so I re-uploaded the chapter. If anyone is still having problems, lemme know._

Chapter 5

That damn rooster. Seiji decided he was going to hunt down the owner, buy it from him, and then wring its neck. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he though out his plan to enact revenge on this newest foe, who had insisted on announcing the arrival of morning shortly before the sun had come up. Looking over at his bedmate, he smiled, finding Touma still fast asleep. "You can sleep through anything, can't you?" he muttered groggily. He moved quietly to sit up and swing his feet off the bed, pausing when another sound caught his ear. He turned to glance out the window. It was raining, though just barely. He groaned. The city was too low in elevation for snow to fall regularly, so when it did rain in winter, it normally produced only cold, damp, unpleasant days.

A soft tap at the door made him turn as Tullius walked into the room, carrying a large pitcher of water. "Ah, your up already," he said quietly, finding Seiji sitting on the edge of the bed. "I came to see if you were awake and wanted anything to eat. The morning meal will be ready soon." He offered the pitcher to the younger man. "I trust you slept well."

Seiji stretched a little and reached for the pitcher. "After things calmed down, yes." He took a long drink.

Tullius looked down at the still sleeping Touma. "I haven't seen him sleep this peacefully in weeks." As Seiji followed his gaze, he added, "I know he's happy to have you here with him."

Smiling, Seiji reached out to brush Touma's forelock away from his eyes.

The old man paused a moment, as if unsure how to continue. He looked down at his hands and said, "I have a confession to make, and I pray you'll forgive me. My master had me stand just outside the door last night, to make sure that Touma was kept under control in case he became too upset. The master didn't want his son making his injuries worse. He also asked me to relay to him any information I might…over hear about what really happened on Touma's return trip."

Seiji's expression stiffened a little. "How much did you hear?"

"Everything sir. At least until it got quiet, I assume when you both fell asleep."

They looked at each other, and Seiji could tell by the old man's expression exactly what he had meant by 'everything'. "So how much of our conversation did you relay to him?"

"I gave him all of the information that he requested of me."

"And what of the part about Touma and I?"

The old man shook his head and smiled a little. "He didn't ask about that, so I decided I would let you two decide how best to handle it."

Seiji visibly relaxed. It wasn't that he didn't want Touma's father to know about their new relationship, he just wanted to make sure that he didn't find out by way of second-hand information. He shook his head and smiled up at Tullius. "You really are an excellent servant. Touma is lucky to have you taking care of him."

The old man bowed deeply at the comment. "Thank you, sir. Would you like some food now?"

Seiji nodded and Tullius moved toward the door, but then paused for a moment. "By the way, sir. My master wanted me to inform you that several of the family's relatives from outside of Rome should begin arriving today, for the celebrations for the new emperor. They will more than likely fill the house, so we will need every spare room. My master asked me to tell you that you are free to stay with Touma as long as you like, but we will need to move a bed in here for you if you decide to stay." He grinned a bit mischievously. "For propriety's sake. Besides, Touma's bed _is_ rather small. I can't imagine it would be very comfortable for the two of you."

Seiji smirked at him. "It _was_ a little cramped last night. But for propriety's sake I won't complain." Then he added, "And please tell your master that I'll stay as long as Touma wants me too."

Tullius bowed again as he moved toward the door. "I'll have a bed brought in for you then." And with that he left the room.

Seiji sighed and looked back down at Touma, who was still fast asleep. _With the way we fought last night it's a wonder the whole house didn't hear us,_ he thought, leaning over.

"Touma," he said softly, trying to rouse his friend. When he received no response he tried gently shaking him, and when that didn't work, he shook him a little harder. He was met with only a grumble as Touma tossed his head and pulled his covers higher. Seiji chuckled and leaned down, taking Touma's face in one hand and turning it up towards his own. "Lazy," he said. "Wake up." With that he kissed him gently.

As Touma opened his eyes, he froze briefly, as if having forgotten for a moment what had happened the night before. But just as quickly it all seemed to come back to him, and he sighed into the kiss, smiling up at Seiji when he moved away. "It's too early," he protested. "Lay back down for awhile."

"Tullius is brining us the morning meal."

"I'm not hungry," Touma said, pulling his blankets close.

"You should eat, Touma."

"I don't want to get up," he whined. "You can have mine."

Seiji snorted, and in one swift motion he stood and stepped away from the bed, successfully pulling all of Touma's covers with him.

"Seiji!" Touma cried out, scrambling to hide his nakedness. "What are you—"

His friend smiled cunningly. "Now you have to get up."

"Give those back!" Touma wailed. "It's cold!"

"Now whose fault is that?" Seiji asked, nodding towards the long dark brazier. A second later, a pillow came flying at him.

"_Seiji!_"

* * *

Just as Tullius had predicted, and despite the rain that persisted throughout most of the day, Touma's relatives began arriving from neighboring cities shortly after the midday meal. The house was soon abuzz with all the sounds of the new guests and the staff they had brought with them. Seiji and Touma looked down from the balcony door as relative after relative was greeted in the atrium by Touma's parents. They knew eventually decorum would force them downstairs to welcome everyone as well, and neither of them was looking forward to it. They would both have preferred to stay upstairs and out of sight, but Touma's father insisted that they come down for at least the evening meal.

As expected, they were mobbed almost immediately after they emerged from the room. Everyone was eager to get close to and earn favor with their famous relative and his equally famous friend. Touma and Seiji took most of the commotion in stride, every once in awhile exchanging small chagrined looks as they were bombarded with greetings and questions. The rest of the late afternoon continued on in much the same manner, through dinner and into the early evening, when the two finally begged off from the rest of the evening's activities, claiming Touma's head was hurting. Mercifully, since everyone had already heard of Touma's harrowing actions on his return trip, no one tried to persuade them to stay up longer, and the two hastily retreated up to the quiet of his room. Exhausted, they quickly fell asleep, once again in the same bed, the other bed that had been brought in for Seiji remaining untouched.

The rain didn't stop once that night and continued on into the next day. Because of all the commotion the afternoon before, and because he could tell it was so draining on his son, Touma's father allowed the two to stay hidden away in their room. When a few meddlesome relatives tried pestering them to come out, he decided to place one of the household's larger servants outside of the door, discouraging anyone from bothering them, and asking for his son to be left alone in order for him to save his strength for his recovery. Thankfully they all grudgingly agreed, knowing that once the rain stopped, the celebrations for the new emperor would begin and they would have other things to occupy their time.

It was late in the afternoon, and Touma and Seiji sat just inside the door to the balcony, watching the rainfall. Touma was leaned back against the wall, and Seiji lay in front of him, resting his head upon his friend's stomach. They lounged in silence, enjoying the lazy feeling the rain elicited. A light knock at the door caught their attention, and Seiji, not knowing who was on the other side of the door, quickly sat up, abandoning their intimate position. They both turned as Tullius entered the room and walked towards them, a drawn expression on his face.

"The master was busy with his guests, and wasn't able to bring this to you." He held out a tightly rolled scroll to Touma. "He asked that I deliver it to you instead."

Touma eyed the scroll warily, and when his eyes spotted the seal of the emperor binding it, he swallowed hard, feeling the color drain from his face. He reached up with a shaking hand and took it from the old man. "Thank you," he said, finding his throat suddenly dry. The head servant bowed and quickly excused himself. Touma waited until he had closed the door behind him, then gazed back down at the scroll.

"Want me to open it?" he heard Seiji offer, but Touma shook his head. He popped the seal and unrolled the letter, reading it quickly.

When he finished, he let out a heavy sigh, and Seiji pulled the letter from his hands.

"He wants to see me, about what happened on the road the other day, to 'thank' me for my 'great favor' to Rome," Touma said cynically, staring out at the rain again as Seiji read. He didn't need to look at his friend to tell he was fuming. Touma took the letter back quickly and stood, heading over to the brazier. Without a word, he bent over and opened it, pushed the letter down into the coals, and then replaced the cover. He returned to his spot next to the balcony door, leaving the letter to burn in the brazier. Seiji watched quietly, and eyed Touma as he sat back down.

"While I admire your courage, are you sure its a good idea to burn that?" he asked.

Touma shrugged. "I don't want it lying around and fueling your anger."

"I'm already angry enough to kill a man, how much angrier can I get?" Seiji asked, meaning it more as a statement than an actual question.

"That's true," Touma agreed.

"I really would you know…"

Touma reached out and pulled him back down, trying to get him to lie back again. "Not now, Seiji," he said, just wanting to return to the peace they had been enjoying before the letter had arrived.

"Touma…" Seiji said in a warning tone, sitting back up to look his friend in the eye. "Don't start that ag—" but Touma cut him off.

"No." He corrected, holding up his hands. "I'm not pushing you away. It's just that…" He paused for a moment, searching for the most honest words. "Your worth more to me than revenge. If you did anything to incite him, I might loose you. And I couldn't live with that. So for both our sakes, let's just let things quiet down for awhile, alright?"

Seiji regarded his friend for a second, and then turned, lying down and resting his head back against Touma's stomach. Taking this as a sign of concession, Touma exhaled in relief.

"It would probably be a good idea to leave Rome for awhile," Seiji said eventually. "The farther we are from him the less likely he is to want to bother you... I would hope."

"Where would we go?" Touma asked.

Seiji paused for a moment, considering, then said, "My families farm. In Volaterrae. It's at least a two days ride from here. That might be just far enough away for us to stay out of sight and out of mind.

"Your father would be alright with that?"

"I'll have to ask him to make sure, but he hasn't vacationed there in years. It's basically empty except for the field workers and the house servants. I don't see why he wouldn't allow it. I'll go ask him tonight."

And so while Touma's household and guests were busy eating dinner, Seiji stole away to his house. He had arrived to find his own home in the same state of disarray as Touma's, with relatives from every corner of the Empire squeezing into the guest rooms, preparing for the impending celebrations. He barely managed to find a moment to pull his father aside to speak privately with him. Seiji's father had already known about his son's friend's injuries by way of a letter Touma's father had sent to him, explaining that Seiji would be staying with them for awhile to help with Touma's recovery. His father had agreed to let them retreat to the farm estate for as long as they wanted, and with that, Seiji packed a few things from his room and then returned to Touma's house with the good news.

"We'll leave as soon as you feel up to the trip," Seiji said as they ate the dinner that had been brought up for them.

"Tomorrow morning, if the rain stops," came Touma's quick reply.

Seiji frowned. "No way. You're not strong enough yet."

"I'm fine! I hardly get lightheaded at all now," Touma argued. "Besides. The sooner we get out of this house the sooner I'll really start feeling better. We'll be on horseback, so it wont be a hard trip."

Seiji regarded him wearily for a moment, and Touma set his expression in a way that Seiji would know he wasn't going to back down. "Fine," he finally agreed. "Tell your father tonight then."

Touma's father predictably voiced the same concerns that Seiji had, but eventually gave in to his son, resigned to let him go so long as he was in his friend's care. They packed that evening, and when they awoke to clear skies the next morning, they crept quietly downstairs well before the sun rose, bid farewell to Touma's parents who had risen early to see them off, then headed out on horseback into the frigid morning, making straight for the city gates and the countryside beyond. Even at such an early hour, they stayed well hidden beneath their capes, with the neutral side facing out. They wanted to be as careful as possible not to be recognized, so that no one besides their family would know where they were headed.

They made their way easily out of the city and into the surrounding hills just before daybreak, but as the sun rose higher they were soon joined by so many travelers on the road all heading the opposite direction towards Rome that they were forced to keep under their cloaks to save their anonymity. At some times the road became so congested that it slowed their progress significantly, since they were traveling against the crowds, and both worried about being able to reach their destination in under two days. But as the day wore on and they got further from the city, the crowds began to thin out a bit, and they were able to make up for some lost time.

When the sun began sinking in the west, Touma suggested that they continue on through the night, but Seiji was adamant about finding a place to stop and rest for a while. With all the other travelers heading to Rome, finding an inn with available rooms seemed almost impossible, but they were fortunate enough to procure the last room at the second inn they inquired at. The room was small, unheated and only had one bed with a thin blanket, but they slept soundly, holding each other close for warmth. The next morning, after a meager breakfast from the inn's tavern, they started out again on their way north. The roads were much less congested now, and they were able to keep up a good pace as they rode along. The day started out clear and crisp, with a brilliant cloudless blue sky above and a sharp chill in the air. They could even see the ocean far off to the west from time to time, between breaks in the landscape.

At midday, Seiji suggested stopping for something to eat, but Touma insisted that they keep going. His head was beginning to hurt again, mostly from the long ride, and he wanted to get to the villa as soon as possible in case the pain began to grow worse. He didn't tell Seiji about his concerns though. He didn't want to worry his friend, and they would be at the end of their journey soon enough. By the time they reached the crossroads that would take them to Volaterrae, his lightheadedness had returned, and Touma sighed gratefully as they made the turn that would take them into the small town. The wind had picked up significantly, and thick clouds had filled the sky above them. It looked as if it would snow, and there was no doubt that it was cold enough to. The sky was quickly darkening and they were both shivering beneath their heavy outer garments as they came to the small road leading into the orchards and vineyards that surrounded Seiji's family's villa.

As they traveled up towards the main house, several workers coming in from the fields for the day joined them and, recognizing their master's son, rushed to greet the two young men. Most carried large baskets full of olives, and a few smaller baskets of late season grapes. Seiji greeted them all warmly and accepted a small stalk of grapes offered to him by one of the younger workers. Touma smiled under his hood. Seiji's family was known as well as his own for treating their servants and slaves well, and because of that, enjoyed their loyalty and devotion. Flanked by the workers, they finally reached the main house and wearily slid from their horses.

As soon as Touma's feet hit the ground, the familiar feeling of dizziness washed over him again, and he had to concentrate to keep his balance. Seiji called out to let the servants in the house know they had arrived, and after a moment, an older, very surprised man with thinning gray hair appeared at the door, followed by a wide eyed young man who rushed forward to take the reins of their horses.

"Master Seiji!" the older man proclaimed a bit nervously. "Welcome, sir!"

"Thank you, Aeneas," Seiji said, handing his reins to the youth.

"We… we weren't expecting you, sir," the old man said nervously.

Seiji held up a hand reassuringly. "I know. I didn't have time to send word before we left."

"Most of the house staff has left for your father's house in Rome to help with their guests."

"How many are left?" Seiji asked.

"Just myself and the boy," replied Aeneas, gesturing at the young man now taking Touma's reins.

"That will be enough for just the two of us," Seiji said, turning to his friend.

Having lost the only thing he could hold onto for balance, Touma now faltered a bit, taking a step forward.

"Touma!" Seiji said, quickly stepping to his friend's side to steady him. He slipped an arm behind him and asked quietly "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

"Does your head hurt?"

"Yeah," Touma admitted weakly as Seiji lead him through the doorway and into a richly furnished anteroom, then turned back to the older servant who had followed them, watching attentively.

"The archer's room. Have you prepared it for the season yet?" Seiji asked.

"Yes sir," the servant replied. "We hung all the heavy drapes in the house to keep the frost out and laid down all the rugs. Your father insists on keeping the house prepared for your family at all times."

Seiji nodded and headed farther into the house, his arm firmly supporting Touma. As they walked, Touma looked around them as much as he could. Since they hadn't been expected, the villa was sparsely lit and mostly filled with shadows. But from what he could see, he could tell that, while not the grandest vacation home he had ever seen, it was richly furnished and decorated with brilliant murals, and soft, deep rugs cushioned the floors beneath his feet. Large, elaborate oil lamp stands stood dark in the corners of the rooms they passed through, and Touma could only imagine how inviting the place would be once it was fully lit and warmed.

They passed through an archway and back out into the cold, walking along a small colonnade towards the sleeping rooms in the back of the house. From the dim light of the torches that lined the walls Touma could see the beautifully manicured trees and flowers that lined the courtyard within, and he caught his passing reflection in a small pond as they walked by. At the opposite end of the colonnade, he could see two doors, one on either side of another large archway, through which he could only see darkness. Seiji stopped at the door to the right of the archway and waited for the older servant to open it and light their way inside with the small oil lamp he carried. Once inside, it was too dark to see everything clearly, and with his head still aching and spinning, Touma was more interested in finding a place to rest. As the servant walked over to light a lamp hanging from a tall stand in one corner, Seiji lead Touma to a large bed at the other end of the room.

Seiji reached up to unfasten and remove his cloak then pulled the heavier outer garments from his shoulders. Touma sighed happily as he was laid down into the soft mattress, the scent of perfumed linens filling his head as he breathed. He felt Seiji gently remove his boots and then heard him asking for the servant to bring in a brazier, a bowl of cold water and a cloth.

As the old man left to fetch the requested items, Touma looked up at his friend. "Sorry I'm being such a burden," he said, smiling weakly.

Seiji walked over to take a chair from against the wall and pull it close to the bed. As he sat, he said, "It's alright. I rather enjoy taking care of you."

Touma snorted playfully. "You sound like a woman. Are you turning into one?"

Seiji narrowed his eyes and leaned down close. "Would you like me to?" he asked in his best seductive voice, then licked his lips comically.

Bursting into laughter, Touma grabbed his head. "Ow, ow, ow! Seiji, don't make me laugh. It hurts!"

Seiji chuckled and leaned down to rest his forehead lightly against Touma's. "Sorry." He raised a hand to his friend's face, cupping his cheek softly as he turned his own head to close the gap between them, taking Touma's lips gently with his own. Closing their eyes and settling against each other, they enjoyed the kiss for a long while, until they heard the door to the room open. As Seiji pulled away, Touma saw the two servants walk in, one carrying a large ornate brazier, the other carrying a bowl with a cloth draped over the edge. The brazier was set in the middle of the room and lit, and the bowl was placed on the table next to the bed. After the two servants had excused themselves, Seiji reached into the bowl and took out the cloth, wrung the excess water from it and placed it gently on the slowly fading bruise that still marred the side of Touma's forehead.

"This will help ease the pain a bit. Go ahead and sleep. I'll show you around tomorrow," he said.

Touma nodded and let his eyes slide shut, already the cold from the cloth relieving the ache in his head. Within a few minutes he was fast asleep. He didn't know how much later it was when he felt the bed move slightly, pulling him from his sleep. He opened his eyes to watch as Seiji climbed in next to him, pulling the blankets and a thick fur up to cover them. Seiji wrapped an arm possessively across his friend's chest and then settled his head on the pillow, pressing his face to the side of Touma's neck. With a contented sigh from both of them, they drifted off to sleep together.

* * *

"Gone?" Ryo blinked. "Where did they go?" He stood with both Shuu and Shin in the atrium of Touma's house, with Tullius standing before them. The three of them had decided to join in the citywide festivities that day, and had stopped by Seiji's house first to ask him to join them, only to be informed by a servant that Seiji was at Touma's house, and had now arrived at Touma's house only to be told that neither of their friends were there either.

Tullius spoke in a hushed voice. "They left for Volaterrae two days ago. I'm sorry they didn't send word before they left to let you know where they were headed, but they were in a hurry. They asked me to inform you if you came by looking for them. But…" he hesitated, looking uneasy. "I have to ask that you not mention to anyone else where they have gone. They requested that only you three be informed of their whereabouts."

"Why would they do that?" Shin mused aloud.

"Did something happen? I heard about Touma's incident in the mountains on his return home. Does it have something to do with that?" Ryo asked.

Tullius bowed apologetically, his eyes troubled. "Not directly. But I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell you anymore than what I already have. You'll have to speak with them about it. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Ryo said understandingly. "Thank you for telling us where they went." The three excused themselves and headed back out to the street.

Shuu looked at Ryo expectantly. "What do you want to do?"

Ryo paused for a moment, his eyes distant, betraying his concern. "I want to know what happened, so I'm going to Volaterrae. You two are welcome to come with me if you don't mind missing the celebration."

Shin nodded and said, "I'll come with you."

Shuu looked torn for a moment, but then sighed and nodded as well. "I'm going to miss so many parties, but I'll come as well," he grumbled. "Why would they leave town now? Especially since the new emperor is a friend of Touma's. Wouldn't he want to stay for the celebration? I don't get it…" he trailed off.

"Something must have happened. Couldn't you tell by the way Tullius spoke to us? Those two wouldn't have left without letting us know unless there was a good reason." Ryo said. He glanced up at the sky. "It's still early. Lets all go pack and then meet at the northern-most gate." After a moment's pause, he added, "Make sure your not recognized. If we're recognized there's a chance that someone will find out where were headed."

The other two nodded and they parted ways, each heading toward their own homes to prepare for their journey.

* * *

Touma awoke late the next afternoon, the light that streamed in from the open window beside his bed illuminating the room. He grumbled sleepily and turned away, squeezing his eyes in an attempt to block out the light. It didn't work however, and soon he found himself staring at the colorful paintings that decorated the walls of the room. On one wall was a scene of an archer and his dogs walking through a forest, on another were deer drinking serenely from a river. The walls that weren't covered in murals were painted a rich red with gold trim along the ceilings and floors.

"What do you think?" he heard from the window. He turned to find Seiji sitting in the sunlight, looking at him expectantly.

"It's amazing," Touma replied, glancing around appreciatively.

"I thought you might like it. It was too dark to show you last night." He stood and looked out the window. "Come look. It snowed during the night."

Touma rose without any pain or dizziness and sighed thankfully. He walked to the window and looked out, drawing in a quick breath. Outside was a tremendous garden, completely covered in white, and the sunlight reflected off the snow with an almost blinding radiance.

_So that's what was beyond that archway I saw last night_, he mused.

"Get dressed," Seiji said with a gentle nudge. "You slept almost all day. I'm starving and dinner will be ready soon."

They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the estate and, as evening crept closer, settled down to a relaxing dinner. After eating their fill, Touma insisted on using the last of the day's sunlight to play in the snow, and soon they were both soaked to the bone and shivering, the remnants of snowballs melting on their clothes and in their hair. As they were shaking the last of the flakes from their heavy wraps, the younger servant appeared and informed them that the bath was heated and ready. The two wasted no time and eagerly rushed to the villa's bath wing.

Seiji paused outside momentarily to speak with the servant while Touma headed inside. He was glad to find the first room, used for undressing, already warm. There was no brazier however. Fires lit in small passages directly beneath the rooms provided the heat and Touma relished the warmth of the floors on his bare feet. He quickly discarded his wet clothing and picked up one of two cloth wraps that had been laid out for them, secured it around his waist and passed through another door and into the bath chamber. He paused at the entrance to look around the opulent room. It was octagon shaped, about ten feet wide, with high, mosaic covered walls that stretched up for several feet before joining together to form a dome at the top. The bath was sunken into the floor in the middle of the room, with a wide ledge that ran along its perimeter. The ledge was furnished with soft mats and several large cushions, and a few oil lamps had been placed along it as well, to provide light. A large window whose shutters were opened slightly was set into the wall opposite the door, allowing some of the steam to escape so that the room didn't become too hot.

Touma walked down the stairs leading into the pool. The water was hot, but not unbearably so. As he sunk to his shoulders against the side of the bath he found a small ledge built into the side of the pool beneath the water, and he sat down, gazing up at the high ceiling. This was a room meant not only for bathing but also for relaxing, and he leaned back and sighed happily, savoring the feel of the warm water as it seeped in to melt the chill from his muscles. A chuckle caught his attention as his friend entered the room.

"Best room in the house," he said as he stepped down into the water, cringing a bit at the heat.

Touma nodded as Seiji settled into the water across from him. "I agree," he said contentedly. "How long are we going to stay here?"

Seiji shrugged. "As long as you want, or as long as we have to in order to keep you safe." His expression clouded for just a second, then cleared again. "There isn't much to do around here I'm afraid. But there is a theater in town, and a large taverna. And the hills around here are perfect for riding. There is a huge inland cliff not far from here. If you climb to the top on a perfectly clear day and look off to the east you can see all the way to Pisae and the ocean."

They carried on the conversation, discussing how they would spend their time at the villa and what nearby cities they might travel to, for almost an hour, until Touma finally interrupted by looking up at the window and asking, "Do you mind if I open that a bit more? It's getting hot in here."

Seiji waved his hand toward the window in agreement and Touma waded over to the far side of the pool. The air was so full of steam it was almost suffocating. He stepped onto the submerged ledge and reached up to adjust the shutter. As he stretched, he was aware of the wet cloth around his waist pulling up slightly, and he began to reach back to pull it down. But then he smiled to himself and stayed his hand. There wasn't any harm in being a little brazen. He could feel Seiji's eyes on him as he stepped back into the water and returned to the opposite side of the pool, the steam curling off of the water in slow arcs as he moved.

Reaching his spot, he pulled himself out of the pool and sat up on the ledge, allowing his legs to remain hanging in the water. He sighed as the air began to cool and become less oppressive. Leaning back against a large cushion, he looked across to his friend still submerged in the warm waters. Seiji had the strangest look on his face. His eyes were dark and narrowed slightly, but the corner of his mouth was crooked up in an uncanny smile. Touma felt his pulse jump slightly at the intensity in the look and he shifted his eyes away quickly, his gaze wandering to the flame of one of the oil lamps burning across the pool. He tried to think of something to say to break the silence that had settled in the room, but couldn't think of anything.

Luckily, his friend spoke first. "Your shameless," came Seiji's teasing voice, echoing slightly in the tall room, then the sound of water splashing as he stood. Touma looked up as Seiji moved across the pool toward him. He swallowed his nerves and offered a small, devious smile as his friend paused in front of him for a moment. Still lounging back against the cushion, Touma felt strangely exposed under his intense gaze. Seiji hesitated only a second, then moved forward again suddenly, pushing Touma's legs apart and stepping in between them. He leaned down, draping himself over Touma, and brought their lips together eagerly.

It happened so fast that Touma faltered for a moment, but recovered quickly as he felt strong arms wrap around him, pulling him closer. Savoring the soft breath and warm lips of the man above him, he pressed up into the kiss, parting his lips and allowing Seiji's tongue to slide against his own. He reached up with one hand to run his fingers along Seiji's neck and up into his hair, his other hand gripping his friend's forearm tightly. He felt an arm pull out from under him, and then a hand wandering down the length of his arm, up his side and across his chest. Seiji shifted slightly above him, then pulled his lips away, slowly kissing a line down Touma's neck and along the ridge of his collarbone.

Gentle fingers found one of his nipples and circled it a few times before the warm mouth took it. Touma bit his lip and allowed a moan to escape as Seiji pulled it between his lips and sucked gently. His fingers still twisted in the blond hair, Touma arched his back upward and said in a shaking voice, "How did you learn all of this?" He felt Seiji's lips smile against his skin, then a gentle nip that made him suck in a sharp breath.

"Just because I never participated in those after dinner parties doesn't mean I didn't watch and learn," came the smooth reply as Seiji slid back up his body to settle above him face to face once again.

"Pervert," Touma teased as they brought their mouths together. He could feel himself already hard beneath the wet cloth still wrapped around his waist. Even though their chests were pressed together tightly, it seemed Seiji was still holding his hips up, as if hesitant to let himself fall completely against Touma. _He's holding back_, he thought. Slowly, Touma lowered his hands, running them across Seiji's shoulders and down the muscles of his back to his waist. Slipping his fingers beneath the wet fabric of his friend's wrap, he reached further, kneading and pressing down, encouraging Seiji to lower his hips. With a slight shudder, Seiji finally pressed fully against him, eliciting gasps from both of them as each felt his length brush against the other's through the fabric.

The kiss was pensive now, both of them enjoying the sensations of their intimate contact. With hands that trembled slightly, Touma reached for the edge of Seiji's wrap, loosening it, and then pulling it away completely.

With a shiver, Seiji pulled up and looked down at Touma. "Are you sure this is alright? I mean… your head…" He reached up to gently touch the side of Touma's forehead where the bruise had almost completely faded.

Touma nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine now."

"Good," Seiji said, smiling down at him.

Suddenly shy from his friend's concern, Touma looked away at the window. "Are you cold? We can get back in the water if you want."

Seiji shook his head. "No. Lets stay like this." He reached down to run his hand lightly across Touma's stomach and then lower to loosen and remove the cloth at his waist. "I want to watch you."

A while later, after the last ripples of pleasure had faded, they lay resting on the ledge, catching their breath, Seiji's face pressed into Touma's shoulder. As Touma stared blissfully up at the ceiling, Seiji turned his face into his neck and said, "Once we've dried off and rested awhile, I want you to do that to me."

Touma's eyes widened and he angled his face to try to look at him. "You mean…"

For their people, sex was viewed more often as an act of asserting ones role in society rather than an act of love. While the members of the upper class were free to love who and how they wanted, there were still stigmas that were attached to some practices, especially when it came to affections between men. A man only remained respectable in the eyes of society if he assumed the dominant role and didn't allow any compromise of his masculinity. A man taking the submissive role was viewed as an act of degradation, and one risked public humiliation and worse if it became known that he had willingly allowed it to happen. Both partners had to take care that their private lives remained private. But Touma had no reason to worry about any of this. He trusted Seiji not to disclose anything to anyone about their relationship. It was one of the reasons he had decided to give himself to his friend. But the fact that Seiji would be willing, and actually ask Touma to take him meant that they would be… "Equals," he finished.

Seiji nodded against his neck. "That way no one can ever judge us separately."

Touma was touched deeper than he knew how to express. He wrapped his arms tightly around his lover and pressed his face into the golden hair.

"Lets rest like this for a bit," came Seiji's soft voice. "I want to stay inside of you awhile longer."

* * *

They slept very little during the night. Once they had returned to the bedchamber, Touma had eagerly followed through with Seiji's request. As the sun began to rise, they were both admittedly rather sore, and had taken another warm bath to soothe the ache from their bodies. Retreating back to their bed, they had closed the shutters of the windows to block out the sun and curled up together under the warm blankets. They were still sleeping at mid afternoon when the older of the two servants tapped lightly on the door.

Seiji woke with a start and sat up as the old man poked his head into the room, looking guilty for having to wake them. Seeing the young man up, he spoke quietly. "Master Seiji, your friends from Rome, the ones you asked me to send word to… They are here."

"Already?" Seiji asked incredulously.

"I haven't even have time to send the letter yet, sir. They must have come here on their own."

"That didn't take long," Seiji muttered to himself. He glanced down at Touma, who was still sleeping with his back to him. _So much for our time alone_, he thought dolefully. He nodded at the servant. "Let them in, make them comfortable. I'll be out shortly."

As the servant turned and closed the door behind him, Seiji stood and began dressing in the semi darkness of the room. He would let Touma sleep for now. But as he was pulling on his heavy outer tunic, he heard the whisper of blankets moving, and turned to find Touma sitting up in the bed, staring distantly at the closed window, his face made visible by the small streams of light that sneaked in around the edges of the shutters. "They will want to know why we left so suddenly," he said.

Seiji stopped what he was doing and walked over to the side of the bed. "I thought you were still asleep," he said, sitting down.

"I'll have to tell them. I wasn't expecting them to come so soon. I hadn't even thought of how I was going to explain it yet."

Seiji could hear the panic in his voice. He placed a firm hand on Touma's leg. "Its alright. No matter what, they will understand." When Touma didn't respond, he asked, "Do you want me to tell them?" His friend didn't answer, and Seiji could see he was torn between confronting them himself or remaining hidden.

"I don't want to see them right now," Touma said finally in a voice that was barely a whisper.

Seiji nodded. "Don't worry about it. You don't have to. I'll take care of them for now." With that he stood and leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on the top of Touma's head. "Don't forget, we're all your closest friends. No one will think less of you for what happened."

"I know," came the soft reply. "I just don't want to get them involved."

Seiji nodded. He knew how defensive of each other his friends could be. "Sooner or later they will be though. I'll stall them to give you some time." And with that he headed out the door, closing it quietly behind him, and walked to the front of the house. Already he could hear Shuu's booming voice echoing out from the halls. He found them in the large anteroom next to the atrium. He was almost knocked down by the younger servant as the boy came rushing out the door with an empty tray in his hands. He apologized profusely to Seiji, and was met with a reassuring smile. Seiji asked him if they had enough food in the house to feed everyone that night, and was assured that they did. After asking the boy to make sure dinner was prepared for all five of them that evening, he headed into the anteroom.

"There he is!" announced Shuu as Seiji walked through the door. "What's with you two? Leaving Rome all of a sudden and making us miss all the excitement."

"At least say hello first," Shin scolded.

Seiji smirked. "Hello Shuu. Ryo. Shin." He nodded with a warm smile at each in turn. Ryo and Shin rose to greet him with a friendly embrace, but Shuu remained sulking on his couch.

"We were worried," Ryo said stepping back. "We went looking for you to join us during the celebrations, but Tullius told us you came here. He wouldn't say why though. It's not like either of you to just take off like that."

Shin nodded. "So we decided to follow you. We thought it was odd for you to leave so suddenly, especially since Touma and Gaius are close. We figured he would have wanted to help celebrate with his friend."

Seiji opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when a voice from the door behind him said, "That man is no longer my friend."

They all turned to find Touma standing in the doorway, dressed but looking weary, his hair still a bit tousled from sleep. Seiji searched his face for the apprehension that had been there earlier, but found only a look of resolution, and a hint of sadness.

"What happened?" Ryo asked with concern.

Touma paused a moment, staring at the ground, then looked up with brave eyes and said, "His feelings for me changed. He was no longer satisfied with just my friendship. Instead of simply telling me, he chose the wrong way and tried to use force." The intensity in his eyes conveyed the gravity of his simple explanation, and understanding seemed to immediately sink into the other three. "Luckily, his attendants came with news of Tiberius and stole him away before he could do what he wanted. I had to return to Rome on my own. He sent word asking to see me, but I burned the letter. Seiji suggested that it might be a good idea to get out of the city and away from him for awhile, so here we are."

Everyone was silent for a moment, until Seiji spoke up. "We didn't mean to leave without telling you. We just wanted to get away quickly and with as few people knowing about it as possible. My servant was going to send word to you today actually."

"That son of a bitch!" Shuu yelled suddenly, jumping up. "He just thinks he can do anything to anyone, and he's only just become emp--"

Touma held up his hands. "Its alright Shuu. He didn't actually get to do anything."

"But he tried! And he might still try again!"

"I know. That's why were staying here for a while. Hopefully he will be too busy for the next few months to bother me way out here. No one besides our fathers, Tullius, and you three know where we are, and I know none of you will give us away. So as long as we stay here he wouldn't even know where to look."

"But aren't you angry?" Shuu asked, his anger turning to confusion.

"I was, but…" he glanced up at Seiji. "I have a lot of support. And I know that because he _is_ the emperor now, and he _can_ do whatever he wants, any retribution would only cause those around me more harm in the end. The best thing right now is to just stay away from him and hope he gets bored with me."

Shuu sighed. "I was looking forward to those parties…"

Touma smiled remorsefully. "I'm sorry, Shuu. You're missing them to come out here."

"Idiot!" Shuu yelled. "Who would want to go to any parties in that bastard's honor?! I'm glad I didn't go now! I could never enjoy myself knowing what he tried to do. Besides, we can have a much better time out here together, the five of us!" He grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

Ryo looked relieved. "How long were you planning on staying here?" he asked.

Seiji shrugged. "Until we feel its safe to return home."

"We'll stay with you!" Shin declared excitedly.

The other two turned to look at him, then each other, then back to Seiji and Touma. "Is that alright?" Ryo asked.

Touma and Seiji exchanged the smallest of glances and smiled. "Of course you can stay," Seiji said. "But we only have two servants for the time being, so you'll have to behave," he teased.

"Hey…" Shuu said, leaning forward and peering at Touma, who raised his eyebrows questioningly and shirked a bit under the scrutinizing stare. "You have a bite mark on your neck."

Touma quickly slapped a hand to the side of his neck as Seiji shot a look at the spot in question. A heated blush rose to both their faces. Ryo and Shin stared in disbelief at the two of them.

"You…" Shuu pointed, his eyes wide. "You… brought women?" he asked excitedly. The others groaned at him, Seiji dropping his head into his hand, Touma and Ryo shaking their heads, and Shin trying to but failing miserably at suppressing a giggle.

"What?" Shuu asked loudly, glancing from face to face. "_What?_"

Shin leaned over and said quietly, "They did that to each other, you bonehead."

Shuu's jaw dropped as he began to understand. "Oh… _Oh!!_ You…but… then…" he stammered. "All this time…"

"No, no, no," Touma waved his hands. "Not all this time. Only recently." He glanced up at Seiji with a hapless little smile.

"Unbelievable," Shuu said, scratching his head. Then he shrugged. "Guess we can tease you two for real now, huh?"

The death looks he received told him otherwise.

The five of them remained living in the villa for the next 3 months. They spent their time practicing new routines and tricks, all the while discussing the idea of a tour of the empire. They spent long days riding through the hills, hunting, and swimming in the lakes once the weather began to turn warmer. Inevitably, their presence in the town was no longer a secret, and they began to attend performances in the local theater and would even spend some evenings drinking in the taverna. They even took a week to travel to the nearby port city of Pisae. With all of their notoriety, Seiji worried that they were becoming too careless in their efforts to stay out of the public eye, but Touma insisted it was all right. He secretly suspected that Touma felt guilty for causing all of them to stay away from their families and Rome for his sake, so he never protested anything the others wanted to do, and discouraged Seiji from doing so as well.

At the end of the third month, a week after they had returned from Pisae, a messenger arrived. Seiji went out to receive him while the others waited inside. At second glance the man appeared to be a soldier, not a messenger. He wore the short white tunic of his station, but very little armor besides his chain and leather woven belt and a thick thigh-length cloak. Tucked under his arm was a rounded helmet, and slung onto one side of his horse was a large, oval shaped shield. It was the lack of armor the man wore and the shield that struck a nervous cord in Seiji. As the man climbed from his horse, Seiji angled his head to get a better look at the image on the curved shield. His jaw clenched tightly when he saw it. A black scorpion. This man was a member of the Praetorian Guard, the emperor's own personal bodyguard unit.

Without exchanging any pleasantries, the soldier handed him a sealed letter and stood quietly while he unrolled and read it. When Seiji finished and looked back up at him, the Guard brought his heals together, and without a word, mounted his horse and left.

Seiji remained standing there a moment, his mind racing. Finally forcing his nerves to calm, he turned and walked back inside.

As soon as he was through the door, Shin spoke up. "What did he say?"

Seiji handed the letter to Touma silently.

"That was a member of the Guard. Why the hell would one of _them_ be delivering a message?" Shuu wondered.

"He wasn't just the messenger. He was part of the message," Seiji said solemnly, watching Touma as he read. "We've been asked to perform at the emperor's last inaugural party. The Guard acting as a messenger was to show us that we can't ignore this request. We have no choice this time. We have to return to Rome."

Continued in Chapter 6

_A/N: Can I just say… I love my reviewers!! I'm sorry I make you all wait so long between updates. I don't do it on purpose, I swear! Only 2 months this time! On the plus side, the longer I take between updates, the longer the chapters seem to turn out, so its not all bad! Truth be told, it was the adult scene that slowed me up mostly. I'd never written one before, so I fretted over it continuously until I just made myself sit down and write it. Took me the better part of a whole night, but I got it done! I also hacked up the preface a bit; added a story summary, cut down on some of the various other stuff. I think it was scaring people off the way it was before. And from now on my profile page will also be kept up with info on the progression of future chapters while I'm in between updates._

_And again, thank you to those of you who have read this far and are continuing to read. Please, please, PLEASE lemme know what you think. I love reviews! They make me giggle like an idiot. And who couldn't use more idiotic giggles?_


	9. Chapter 6

_-Note: As of this update, the chapters will now be slightly shorter, which will hopefully allow me to update more often._

Chapter 6 

For Touma, returning to Rome was like returning to the scene of some unpleasant childhood memory. During his time with Seiji in Volaterrae, the incident with Gaius almost seemed as if it had happened years ago. It had been two weeks since they received the letter, and the five of them had spent their remaining time at the villa rehearsing for their performance. Despite his friend's best efforts to stay busy to keep themselves from worry, time had seemed to drag by at a maddeningly slow pace. They had returned to Rome two days prior to the party, and once the anticipated day arrived, Touma actually found himself relieved, anxious to put the impending confrontation behind him. His household had returned to normal; all of his relatives had returned to their own homes. Most of the revelry in the city had died down, and the event they had been summoned for was the last of the senatorial parties celebrating the new emperor's induction.

Having already been loved by the citizens of Rome before he was installed as emperor, Gaius had wasted no time in utilizing his new authority to garner even more adoration. In only three short months, he had abolished an unpopular tax, discontinued Tiberius's brutal treason trials, recalled and dismissed all charges against all of Rome's exiles, and paid compensation to those whose houses had been damaged by fire. He declared new holidays and held extravagant banquets, and staged great theatrical shows and epic gladiatorial contests. He completed many projects that had been neglected by Tiberius, such as the Temple of Augustus and Pompeii's theater, and began construction on a new aqueduct. As a result, his popularity was immense, and all of Rome seemed to be in a state of euphoria, so enamored were they with their new ruler.

Hearing all these things, Touma had felt a faint hint of doubt as to his own opinions of the man. Despite Gaius' many unsettling vices, inexperience with politics, and vicious tendencies, it seemed as if he might turn out to be a capable ruler after all. What if the incident between them in Tibur had just been a misstep, an extremely poor decision on Gaius' part? Touma desperately wanted to believe that were true. Naïve as it was, when he awoke on the day of the party he had decided that if his one time friend, by some miracle, had seen the error of his ways and approached him asking for forgiveness, he would give it, even if, for nothing else, it meant avoiding being on the bad side of the most powerful man in the world.

And so now he found himself waiting in the wings of the previous emperor's palace --- which Gaius had wasted no time in claiming for himself --- along with his four friends, all dressed in their performing silks, waiting for the call to enter the large banquet hall and begin their performance. They could hear the din of voices coming from the tremendous room. Hundreds of the richest, most famous, most influential people in the empire were in attendance, from senators and royals, to high ranking equestrians, governors, various officials and even a few kings from neighboring realms. But the vintage of the audience hardly fazed them. They were used to all manner of people attending their performances, from the lowest citizens, to the emperors themselves. The only one of concern this night was the one for whom the party was being held.

Touma peeked out from behind the corner to search the mass of people assembled in the room. He picked out a few faces he recognized here and there, but didn't see the one who concerned him the most. He disappeared back around the corner and took a deep breath. _Just concentrate on the performance for now. One thing at a time_, he told himself. He felt a gentle nudge and turned to find Seiji, who opened his mouth to speak, but then a wiry little man who was sweating furiously from nerves appeared around the corner, telling them to prepare to be called into the room. They didn't have much preparing to do. All of their props and instruments had already been placed by a makeshift stage set up on an open-air terrace that flanked the main room.

Seconds later Touma heard the troupe being introduced, and they emerged from the side room to an almost deafening ovation. It had been nearly three years since their last public exhibition, and judging from the crowd's reaction, their performance tonight had been highly anticipated. As they headed onto the stage, Touma released a deep breath and focused on the task at hand.

The next half hour was a complete blur of resounding weapons, colorful silk, precise movements, and music, all stimulated by the rush of adrenaline. He focused himself so intently on the performance that he barely remembered any of it afterward. The only thing he did remember with clarity was Seiji's face --- intense, excited, immersed in the act --- as they came at each other in a particularly dangerous show of swordplay. Seeing him enjoying himself so much compelled Touma to do the same.

They finished with a flourish, and after the waves of cheers and applause died down, took their leave from the stage, heading back to the wing they had been waiting in earlier. Once there, they freshened up and changed into formal togas. Anxious as they were to leave without a confrontation with the emperor, decorum insisted that they mingle with the guests for a while after the show. As they wandered throughout the crowd, Touma was touched by how his friends never left his side. It was almost humorous at times how they seemed to circle him protectively.

The most popular one of them by far was Seiji. Touma watched amused as both men and women crowded around him, vying for his attention. Seiji never returned his look however. They were being very careful to keep their relationship a secret, and wisely remained as discreet as possible when with each other in public. Touma chuckled as a particularly insistent young woman attached herself to Seiji's arm before he could graciously dodge her, and then chuckled even more at the ensuing look of annoyance that momentarily tinted his otherwise diplomatic expression.

His amusement was short lived however. A balding man in the purple striped toga of the senatorial class cleared his way through the crowds to approach him and take his arm. "It's time for your commendation, young man," he said with a good-natured smile.

Touma blanched, caught completely off guard. He hadn't been told about any commendation. As the man led him away from his friends, he turned to catch their worried eyes as the crowds swallowed them from view. This time, Seiji _had_ returned his look. He was ushered through the mass of people and to the bottom of a short flight of stairs, beyond which stretched another wide, open terrace. At the top of the stairs, silhouetted by the night sky and waiting with a crown of oak leaves in his hand, stood Gaius.

A startlingly booming voice coming from somewhere to his right called out for silence, and the throng obeyed, a hush settling over them as they turned to watch. With the blindingly charismatic smile of a politician, Gaius raised his hands to the crowd. "My honored guests, please humor me once more. I know I have bored you enough with my speech earlier this evening." A chuckle drifted up from the crowd. "But I have a matter of great importance that needs to be addressed immediately."

"There is one among us I wish to honor tonight. Who, by risking injury to himself, did a great service to Rome. Who, while returning home through the mountains, single handedly stopped the robbery and probable murder of a merchant and his grandson. Even after suffering grievous injury at the criminal's hands, he managed to apprehend the entire band of thieves that had eluded even the centurion guard, returning them to Rome where they were swiftly executed. His bravery and skills have made the pass safer to travel for all of the empire's citizens, and for that, tonight we shall honor him."

_It really isn't that big of a deal_, Touma thought, cringing inwardly at all the sudden fanfare and momentarily forgetting some of the embellishments in Gaius's speech that had piqued him. He felt a tiny shove at his back as Gaius motioned him to the top of the stairs. With heavy feet weighed half by embarrassment, half by frustration, he ascended the steps to stand one down from the man at the top, who was beaming almost triumphantly down at him. He bowed as Gaius raised the crown of leaves and placed it securely on his head. Another cheer arose from the crowd as Touma straightened and turned to them, blushing furiously, but nodding his acknowledgement of their praise.

Eventually Gaius waved the crowd back to it's socializing, and Touma stood there awkwardly, waiting to be dismissed so he could return to his friends. But instead, the emperor took two golden cups of wine handed to him by a slave, and offered one to Touma.

"It's been a long time," Gaius said with a disarming smile. "Join me for a while?" He stood with the drink outstretched, the question lingering in the air, until Touma reluctantly reached up to take the cup from his hand. With a satisfied look, Gaius turned on his heel and headed out onto the terrace.

_No going back now_, Touma thought, gathering his resolve and squaring his shoulders. He took the last step up and followed Gaius onto the starlit terrace.

* * *

Seiji fought back panic. It had been bad enough when Gaius called Touma up in front of the crowd and then lied about how his friend had received his injuries. Now it appeared that the emperor wasn't yet finished with him for the evening either. He had known there would be some sort of confrontation between the two of them, but he had planned to remain at Touma's side so that he didn't have to face Gaius alone. It didn't appear however that the emperor was going to be so accommodating. 

He felt Ryo sidle up next to him and say in a hushed voice "He'll be alright. They were going to have to face each other sooner or later. There isn't much Gaius can do with all these people around. We should probably move closer to keep an eye on them though." By now Touma and Gaius had moved to the far side of the empty terrace where there was little light to illuminate them, and Seiji wasn't so sure the crowds back in the hall would ensure the emperor's good behavior.

"Friends," he heard Ryo call back to Shin and Shuu as well as the mob of people gathered around them. "These crowds are a bit stifling. Why don't we move closer to the terraces so we can get some fresh air?" The other two met their eyes with looks that showed they understood his reasoning behind the sudden action. They were just as concerned with loosing sight of Touma.

As the group moved toward the other side of the room, Seiji noticed guards had been placed at each pillar that stood between the terrace and the main hall. They would have to watch from a distance. "He's ensuring their privacy," he muttered to Ryo. He saw his friend nod slightly and they moved to stand just at the bottom of the short flight of stairs leading up to the terrace. Here they could at least see Touma and Gaius clearly, even though the two men were only black silhouettes against the night sky. The group returned to their normal banter, Seiji trying his best not to show his concern, but unable to avoid stealing glances at the two dark figures standing out in the night air.

* * *

It was near the middle of the year now, and the peak of summer was fast approaching. The air hung warm and still as Touma joined Gaius at the stone balustrade that lined the edge of the terrace. The view out and beyond was spectacular, especially at night. Lights from the city below stretched for miles and spread in all directions, blinking and wavering in the dissipating heat left over from the day. Off in the distance the black profiles of the mountains stretched up to meet the night sky. There was no moon out, so the stars provided the only light on the terrace. 

"I'm so glad you and your friends were able to make it tonight," Gaius said, staring out over the city.

_It wasn't as if we had a choice_, Touma thought.

"I was counting on the five of you to make this last party one of the best. From the applause you received, I would say you exceeded my expectations," Gaius continued pleasantly. "How was your vacation in Volaterrae?"

"Good," Touma answered shortly. The emperor's tone may have been pleasant, but it carried a menacing undertone Touma had heard before. Gaius was in the mood to pick a fight.

"I was dismayed to learn that you had run off to leave me to deal with the coronation on my own," he said, turning to lean against the balustrade and gesturing toward the crowds inside. "I'm glad I was able to find you in time for this last party. It wasn't easy. It was almost as if you were hiding from me."

Touma ignored the thinly veiled taunt. He glanced back and noticed the guards that now stood between them and the main hall. "What's the deal with the guards?" he asked casually.

"To ensure we aren't bothered. I'd rather not be disturbed right now."

"I see," Touma said, setting his untouched glass of wine on the wide ledge of the balustrade.

"There are your friends," Gaius said, pointing his chin at the group standing just inside. "Your all rather tight knit tonight. None of you seem to want to let each other out of sight for very long."

Touma sighed. The idle conversation was making him anxious.

"Seiji looks rather worried." There was venom in the emperor's words. "Don't tell me you finally grew a pair and told him."

_There it is_, Touma thought dourly. Gaius had picked up on his frustration and immediately seized the opportunity to try and provoke him. Touma pushed away from the balustrade in annoyance. The man didn't seem at all interested in anything other than pointless taunting. "If the only reason you asked me out here was to mock me…" He took a step in the direction of the main hall, but Gaius caught his arm.

"Lets not fight," the emperor said in a smooth, pacifying tone. "There are far too many eyes watching right now."

Touma glanced back inside. Not only were his friends watching the two of them, but many others were watching as well. He hated to admit it, but Gaius was right. The last thing he needed was to cause more trouble for himself by getting into a public argument with the emperor. He felt Gaius' grip release on his arm.

"Lets go someplace more private," he said, drifting past Touma and heading to the other side of the terrace, further into the shadows and further from his friend's watchful eyes.

"I'd rather stay here," he protested, but Gaius ignored him and kept moving. Realizing he didn't have a choice in the matter, Touma followed him off to an area where the terrace was separated from the main room by a wall and decorated with massive potted plants and large statues poised atop marble pedestals. Just as Gaius had wanted, they were now completely secluded.

"Now isn't this better?" Gaius asked.

Touma didn't answer him, and instead leaned back against the pedestal of a nearby statue, crossing his arms. An awkward silence followed, as if both were unsure how to continue the conversation.

Finally Gaius spoke. "I know you've been avoiding me, and I wanted to apologize. I have missed you, Touma. It's been… lonely, having to deal with all this on my own." Touma could barely believe his ears at the mention of an apology. The man sounded truly remorseful.

"But isn't this what you wanted?" he asked. "Its all you talked about ever since Tiberius became ill."

Gaius ran a hand through his hair, his eyes searching the ground in front of him, and Touma recognized it as a sign that his normally carefree facade was cracking a bit. "I wanted safety," he said quietly. "For my family and myself." By family he meant his three beloved sisters, the only members of his immediate family still living. His mother and two brothers had died in exile. An exile that Tiberius had ordered. "I didn't want to worry about them anymore…" He trailed off, and Touma saw his eyes harden again, and the normal, nonchalant expression slip back across his face.

"I'm sorry it's so hard on you…" Touma said quickly, trying to keep him from closing up again, but it was too late. Gaius waved off his comment.

"Don't get me wrong. I enjoy all the attention, just not the responsibility! Things were so much easier before. I could eat and sleep and do things when I wanted. Now there's a schedule for everything. And there's always someone who needs something from me!" He sighed dramatically. "Its just so tiring. I could use the support of a good friend." He glanced pointedly at Touma.

"I'm not sure I can do that anymore, Gaius," Touma admitted quietly.

"Why not? Don't tell me your still upset about what happened in Tibur."

"Of course I am and you know it. Quit trying to be coy," Touma almost snapped.

"Touma, you're making such a fuss over nothing," Gaius chided him like a parent talking to a moody child. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"It was to me."

"Nothing happened—"

"It would have Gaius!" Touma said. "Whether it happened or not isn't the point. The point is that you tried, injured me in the process, and you're not sorry for any of it."

"Why should I be sorry?" Gaius asked incredulously, as if the thought of regretting his actions offended him. "I was only trying to show you how I felt. And you were being difficult. If you had just been a little more agreeable you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"There are other ways of showing someone how you feel Gaius," Touma shot back. "I thought this was supposed to be an apology, but so far all I've heard are excuses." He straightened from his leaning position against the base of the statue. "So if you'll excuse me, its been a long day and—"

He was cut off as Gaius moved in front of him and placed one hand on each side of his shoulder against the cold marble base, effectively trapping him against it. Caught off guard by the sudden action, Touma shrunk a bit against the stone, pressing back as far as he could away from the emperor.

Gaius's eyes were dark as he loomed over Touma. He leaned in a bit, bringing their faces close. Touma swallowed his panic.

"Let me make it up to you," Gaius said in a deep, almost strained tone. "Stay with me tonight."

Touma stiffened at his words and felt his eyes widen. The audacity of the man stunned him. "No."

"I'm _asking_ you this time," he said almost pleadingly, leaning in closer. "Please."

"No, Gaius," Touma answered firmly.

The emperor paused for a moment, his eyes looking confused. He moved forward again to take Touma's lips, but Touma simply turned away, brushing aside one of the arms pinning him against the statue and moving away, leaving Gaius to remain staring at the empty space before him in dejected silence.

They stood quietly for a moment until Gaius straightened his shoulders and walked back to the balustrade. His kept his back to Touma as he said, "Leave me. Take your friends and go."

A kind of definitive sadness knifed through Touma at his words. Despite everything that had happened, there had always been that small hope that their friendship might still be salvageable. But that hope quickly faded as Gaius showed him he was now going to shut him out completely. Why couldnt this man grasp why his actions had caused so much harm? Touma shook his head sadly as he reached up to remove his crown of leaves. Placing it on the stone banister beside Gaius, he said softly, "I wish things had turned out differently. I'm sorry." With that Touma headed back toward the main hall, and the emperor made no sound to stop him.

His friends greeted him with looks of relief as he rejoined them. "Ready to go?" he asked, and the others eagerly agreed. Excusing themselves from the persistent crowds, they slowly made their way toward the far end of the hall and out to stairs that led down into the gardens and from there to the front entrance of the palace. As they descended one flight and stepped onto a landing, a leaf floated down from somewhere above, drifting past Touma's face. Something crunched under his feet, and he stepped back, finding a small pile of debris littering the otherwise clean swept landing. He watched as the leaf drifted down to settle atop the pile, then glanced up, realizing that they were directly below the spot where he and Gaius had been talking. And then he recognized what it was he had stepped on.

It was his crown, the one he had placed next to Gaius as he left. It had been torn to shreds and tossed carelessly over the parapet to land where it now lay in pieces beneath his feet. _I understand_, he thought. _That's it then._ He stared at it sadly for a moment, then stepped over it and continued down the stairs. His friends had paused when he did, and it had taken them a moment longer to figure out what it was they were looking at on the ground. Now they watched him as if unsure whether or not they should say anything about the tattered crown.

But Touma surprised them with a small, valiant smile. "Lets go home. Its late," he said, and continued down the stairs.

* * *

They had retreated to Touma's home for the evening, and after listening to him recount his conversation with the emperor, they had discussed whether to stay in Rome or to return to the villa in Volaterrae. The other four wanted to return to the countryside, but Touma was adamant about staying in Rome, saying that he didn't want to live his life in hiding, and that it was pointless to try to hide in a place Gaius was now aware of. He made the point that no matter where he ran to, he could eventually be found if the emperor searched hard enough, so they might as well just stay in the city. No one could argue against that. Eventually they agreed to stay in Rome for the time being, if only to take advantage of the demands for performances that their show at the party would ultimately produce. After the other three had retired to guest rooms for the night, Seiji and Touma wandered upstairs together, both of them eager to put the day behind them. 

Touma now stood leaning against the frame of his balcony door, gazing out over the dark city. Shrugging his toga to the floor, Seiji walked up behind him, still clothed in his thin under-tunic, and wrapped his arms around Touma's waist. Resting his chin on Touma's shoulder, he asked softly, "You alright?"

The dark haired boy relaxed against him and nodded but remained silent.

Seiji felt no need to prod. Touma never pushed him away anymore. All he had to do was wait. Eventually Touma would feel like talking. He wasn't kept waiting long on this occasion.

"I know it was foolish, but I wanted to believe that we could fix things somehow," Touma said, leaning his head back against Seiji's shoulder to stare up at the stars. "That maybe it had all been a big mistake. I was even going to accept an apology if he offered one."

"That _was_ pretty foolish," Seiji agreed in a not unkind way.

Touma gave a small laugh. "You didn't have to agree with me." Then he grew sober again. "I didn't want to end up his enemy."

"In the end, it wasn't up to you though."

"It's strange," Touma said thoughtfully. "Despite everything, I feel lighter now, like I've lost a burden."

"I don't think the danger has passed yet."

"I know, but I feel as if I can face anything with you next to me."

Seiji followed Touma's gaze into the night sky. "Be careful the Fates don't hear you and take that as a challenge."

Continued in Chapter 7 

_A/N: First off, thank you again for such wonderful reviews! I love you all! And once again, I'm sorry for how long it took to release this chapter. I've finally made it to my last required algebra class for college, and its kicking my ass! I had to really buckle down and study, which meant no time for writing. Only eat, sleep, and solve for f(x)! It's no fun at all! But at least all the hard work is starting to pay off. Made a 94 on my last test, and for me, that's phenomenal. Because the numbers and I, we don't play so well together._

_In any case, I've decided to do away with the 10+ page chapters in favor of smaller, easier to write, edit and read chapters, beginning with this one. Hopefully this will help me be able to update more quickly. That way I wont take nearly 3 months in between updates anymore, heh._


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